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PROGRESS 2011PROGRESS 2011CITIES & COUNTYCITIES & COUNTY
MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL � FEBRUARY 27, 2011SECTION EE / 4 OF 8
MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL � FEBRUARY 27, 2011SECTION EE / 5 OF 8
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR 2EE
TUMLIN TOUTSMARIETTA 2EE
INSIDE:
It takes a village
County’s safety educationcenter ‘second to none’
4EE
It takes a village
County’s safety educationcenter ‘second to none’
4EE
By Kim Isaza
MARIETTA — Marietta’s
city-owned utility not only
powers residential and com-
mercial buildings, it also
jumpstarts the city’s finances
every year.
That’s because the utility
transfers millions of dollars
into the city’s general fund. In
fiscal 2011, for example, the
transfers will total $11.5 mil-
lion.
In the second quarter of
fiscal 2011, the Marietta
Board of Lights and Water
recorded an operating loss of
$217,590 for the period,
despite a 10 percent increase
in revenues.
The BLW’s board of direc-
tors is the governing authority
of Marietta Power and Water,
which has 45,000 electric cus-
tomers and 18,000 water and
sewer customers. Of those,
about 14,600 electric cus-
tomers and 5,000 water cus-
tomers live outside the city
limits.
Between Oct. 1 and Dec.
31, 2010, total operating rev-
enues were $30.97 million,
and total expenses equaled
$31.19 million, creating the
$217,590 loss.
But for the same time peri-
od in the previous fiscal year,
the BLW took in $28.12 mil-
lion and spent $29.47 million
— causing an even larger
operating loss, of $1.34 mil-
lion.
So by comparison, the sec-
ond quarter of fiscal 2011
doesn’t look as bad.
“It’s $1.1 million better
than the second quarter of fis-
cal 2010,” said BLW General
Manager Bob Lewis.
Year-to-date, revenue has
easily outpaced expenses.
Since the fiscal year began
July 1, the city-owned utility
has taken in $72.32 million
and spent $65.66 million,
leaving operating profit of
$6.65 million.
Projections for the rest of
this fiscal year, which ends
June 30, are for a year-end
surplus of $10.3 million,
Lewis said — in part the
result of additional rate
increases that took effect this
past Jan. 1. Electric rates
increased by an average of
five percent, water by eight
percent and sewer by six per-
cent, Lewis said.
“We are required to keep
about $21 million in reserves,
for obligations and contracts
that we’ve signed. The $10
million in surplus reserves is
on top of that $21 million,” he
said. “Any money that we
make that increases our
reserves, that’s a benefit to
the customers, because that
allows us flexibility in dealing
with future price increases.”
As an example, he said,
the recent rate hikes were not
as bad as originally planned.
“We were looking at a
larger increase in electric
rates (to take effect in January
2011), but we had such a
good summer, we were able
to offset that increase,” and
rates did not go up as much,
he said.
By Donna Espy
For his tireless efforts in
the areas of education, arts and
the business community, Earl
Reece, executive director of
the Earl Smith Strand Theatre,
was named the Marietta Daily
Journal’s 2010 Citizen of the
Year.
Reece, a Cobb native, was
presented the award by MDJ
General Manager Otis Brum-
by III during the Cobb Cham-
ber’s 69th annual dinner at the
Cobb Galleria in January.
“I’m most honored, most
appreciative, and most sur-
prised,” Reece, 61, said when
he received the award. His
wife of 26 years, Terri, was in
the audience as was his broth-
er, Randy, a professor at Chat-
tahoochee Technical Institute.
He also thanked Earl Smith
for a “second lease on life” in
working with the Strand The-
atre, and expressed apprecia-
tion for his staff and advisory
board.
The award recipient is
always a secret, which neces-
sitated some finagling since
Reece had plans to be in New
York on the night of the pre-
sentation. He had to be coaxed
into changing his plans to
attend the gala by Smith,
chairman of the Friends of the
Strand board and the restored
theatre’s namesake.
“You’ve just got to be
there,” Smith told Reece,
adding he needed to represent
the Strand on that important
night. Those in attendance
would no doubt agree that
Reece is the face of the Earl
Smith Strand Theatre, where
he took on the director’s role
in 2007. But his contributions
to Cobb run much deeper.
In presenting the award,
Brumby said Reece “has paid
his civic dues like others who
have received this award
before him. He is a home-
grown product who taught
over 9,000 students, many of
whom are probably in this
room.”
He added that Reece has a
theater on the Pebblebrook
High School campus named
after him “not because of
money, but because of his
time, energy, effort and
accomplishments.”
Reece joined the Strand
after serving 14 years as direc-
tor of the Cobb County Center
for Excellence in the Perform-
ing Arts at Pebblebrook High
School and 33 years of public
education service. Smith said
he asked Reece to come out of
retirement to take on the job of
building an exciting entertain-
ment venue in a 1935 Art
Deco theatre on the Marietta
Square. But first it needed to
be totally renovated with
money that had not yet been
raised.
“I thought he was going to
jump out of his chair with
excitement,” Smith said of the
meeting, which began a part-
nership between the two to
raise dollars and bring the best
in entertainment to the venue.
“It has been a great connec-
tion, and his relationship
between the educational sys-
tem and the arts has made it
even more special.”
At Pebblebrook, Reece
grew the magnet arts program
from 200 students to a nation-
ally-recognized program with
more than 700 students. Grad-
uates of the program have per-
formed on Broadway in over
30 shows and in many nation-
al tours. In fact, several grads
have even performed at the
Strand as part of the Atlanta
Lyric Theatre, which now
calls the Strand its home.
Since its opening in 2008, the
Strand has hosted more than
1,100 events and has a staff of
six full-time and 10 part-time
employees.
Reece is also known for
having the ability to talk peo-
ple up on stage who wouldn’t
otherwise venture there.
In January, he directed Neil
Simon’s “The Sunshine
Boys,” a fundraising show for
the Strand that featured well-
known Cobb government,
business and community lead-
ers. Kim Gresh, president of
S.A. White Oil Co., was one
such non-actor who took to
the stage because Reece asked
her.
“I’ve had the pleasure of
putting Earl’s name in my
friend column,” Gresh said.
“We’re very kindred spirits,
and I would not have done it
for anyone else except him.
His years as a teacher have
given him the ability to
encourage and build people
up.” She said Reece pulled
together the entire cast and
“we felt like one big family.”
Gresh also served with
Reece as co-chair of the 175th
City of Marietta birthday cele-
bration in 2009 and saw him
in action almost daily, with
non-stop events planned
around the city to mark the
year-long party. Reece also
chairs the educational task
force for the Cobb Energy
Performing Arts Centre and is
active with the Marietta Kiwa-
nis Club, the Cobb Cultural
Arts Advisory Board, and the
Marietta High School feasibil-
ity theater project committee.
Smith, who turned 80 earli-
er this year, is stepping down
from the Strand board, but he
knows the future is in good
hands with Reece as director.
“I hope this convinces
him that he is where he
needs to be,” Smith said of
Reece being named Citizen
of the Year. “He and his
staff deserve much of the
credit for the Strand’s suc-
cess. His connection with
the community and with us
(the Friends board) has
allowed us to do what we
have done.”
2011 marked the 48th year
the Journal has presented the
Citizen of the Year award.
Last year’s recipient was Cobb
County Manager David Han-
kerson.
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770-314-0799
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ImportantNumbers
Citizen of the Year: Earl ReeceCITIES & COUNTY2EE MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
Strand’s executive director awarded for tireless efforts in the community
Staff/Anthony Stalcup
Marietta Daily Journal General Manager Otis Brumby III, right, presents Earl Smith
Strand Theatre Executive Director Earl Reece with the 2010 Cobb County Citizen of the
Year award during the 69th Annual Cobb County Chamber Dinner.
Marietta’s utility powersbuildings and the budget
Staff/File
Woodstock resident Kirt Norman, left, and Marietta resi-
dent James T. McCray keep an eye on the large monitors
at the Power Control Center at the city utility.
By Marcus E. Howard
KENNESAW — First-
term Kennesaw Mayor Mark
Mathews said he has been
proud of his accomplishments
since his election in 2007, and
will seek re-election in
November.
“I believe my solid foun-
dation of experience and
demonstrated leadership is the
ticket to our continued pros-
perity,” Mathews said. “I
believe I’ve kept my promise
of building our hometown in
spite of the challenges we’ve
all faced both personally and
professionally. There is still a
lot of work to do, and we’re
slowly gaining momentum.”
Like most cities, Kenne-
saw has had to adjust its bud-
get as a result of the econom-
ic downturn. The city faced a
revenue shortfall that Math-
ews said officials predicted
several years ago. Fiscal year
2010 general fund revenues
totaled $21.24 million and the
city’s expenditures were
$21.14 million.
Operating costs were cut,
purchases delayed, technolo-
gy used more effectively, city
employee wages were frozen,
overtime was reduced, and
employees were cross-trained
to perform other duties, he
said.
“We were able to trim the
budget without substantially
affecting services,” Mathews
said. “So in spite of the econ-
omy, we are moving ahead to
prepare for the turnaround we
know is coming.”
Mathews spent much of
his address highlighting goals
in several key areas that he
said his administration made
four years ago and has largely
met, including improving and
growing downtown Kenne-
saw, increasing the quality of
life in the city and making the
community safer.
A number of downtown
projects have been completed
or are moving ahead, the
mayor said. A $3 million
pedestrian underpass opened
last summer, the Trackside
Grill expansion should be fin-
ished in March, and progress
has been made on the five-
acre mixed-use development
behind City Hall that includes
a parking deck.
By mid-2011, the 13,000-
square-feet Jiles Road retail
development is expected to be
completed, Mathews said. In
February, the Legacy Park
culvert project should be
completed, he said. He also
mentioned that progress is
being made on SPLOST pro-
jects such as the Jiles Road
bridge and the Jiles Road at
Cherokee Street intersection
improvements.
“The final stage of Jiles
will be starting construction
in the spring of this year,”
Mathews said.
In addition, the annual
Kennesaw Farmers Market
had a record number of ven-
dors and will continue in the
spring, he said.
Kennesaw mayor toutsgrowth and efficiency
Staff/File
During the State of the City adress, Kennesaw Mayor
Mark Mathews highlighted goals in several key areas that
he said his administration made four years ago and has
largely met, including improving and growing downtown
Kennesaw, increasing the quality of life in the city and
making the community safer.
See Kennesaw, 7EE
Cobb Commission chairman
Tim Lee, left, and County Man-
ager David Hankerson stand in
front of the Cobb County Safe-
ty Village. See (4EE).
MDJ staff photo / Laura Moon
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COBB COUNTY —
Commissioner Woody
Thompson spent the last
year in two seats – at the
helm as interim chairman
and as southeast Cobb’s dis-
trict commissioner
The job gave him a more
well rounded impression of
the county and what it takes
to keep a county of
Cobb’s size running
efficiently and effec-
tively, he said.
“Serving as chair-
man absolutely gave
me a new perspec-
tive. It was a good
experience, and I
stayed quite busy. It
was a lot harder for
same amount
money,” Thompson said,
with a laugh. “But overall, it
was a great experience. It
would be nice if each com-
missioner had that opportu-
nity, to serve as chairman.”
County Chairman Sam
Olens appointed Thompson
as the vice chair in January
2010, which made Thomp-
son the interim chairman
when Olens resigned in
March to run for attorney
general.
A special election for the
chairman’s seat was not
held until July, so Thomp-
son served as the board
chairman for more than
three months.
As interim commission-
er, Thompson was in charge
of signing county docu-
ments, acting as the board’s
leader in decision-making
and representing the board
in the community.
The last time a vice chair
served as chairman was in
2002, when Joe Lee Thomp-
son took over after Chair-
man Bill Byrne resigned to
run for governor.
This year,
Thompson steps
into the third year
of his four-year
term and said some
of the biggest
issues facing his
district are the
same in other dis-
tricts, as they
revolve around the
nation’s struggling
economy.
“I’ve been meeting with
people about zoning and
development opportunities
coming, but like anyone else
in the economy, we’re deal-
ing with the job situation
everywhere. We can help
that to some degree with
incentives and the enterprise
zone in my district where
we can give some incentives
to come to our area by cre-
ating more jobs,” Thompson
said.
One of the most talked-
about zoning issues over the
past year has been develop-
ment options for the Mable-
ton community in Thomp-
son’s district. Thompson
said the proposed form-
based code was a positive
proposal for his district, and
that “something has to be
done.”
“It’s something I’ve been
looking for for a long time.
There are some areas in
Mableton that have seen
NORTHEAST COBB
— Northeast Cobb Commis-
sioner JoAnn Birrell, who
took office Jan. 4, said her
first few weeks as commis-
sioner have been enjoyable
and enlightening, and that
she is already tackling the
economic issues her district
is facing.
“It’s been a great experi-
ence. I’m really enjoying it,
learning a lot and just
jumped in head-first,” Birrell
said. “Even though it’s titled
a part-time position, I knew
there would be a lot of work
involved. I really looked at it
as a full-time job, because
you have to be available and
spend a lot of time on the
job. But it makes a difference
when you really enjoy what
you’re doing and feel like
you’re already making a dif-
ference in the community,
working with people and get-
ting things done.”
And what has being com-
missioner taught her so far?
“I was
focused on
being a
consensus
builder and
listening to
all sides
and I’ve
been very
conscious
of that, not that it’s not in my
nature because it is — at
Waste Management, I was
used to negotiating and lis-
tening to all sides — but this
position has taught me how
to be patient and thorough
with that.”
Birrell won the four-year
post after Tim Lee resigned
from the seat in April to run
for chairman. Birrell went up
against architect Stephen
Moon and business consul-
tant Earl Stine in the sum-
mer’s Republican primary,
ultimately besting Stine in a
runoff.
“She’s honest, has a high
level of integrity, is very
thorough and very open to
other ideas and positions,”
Chairman Tim Lee said of
Birrell. Lee said he’s known
her through community
groups for about eight years.
“I’m excited to having her on
board and looking forward to
working with her.”
Birrell, a 15-year resident
of the county, has served in
numerous community organi-
zations, including Keep Cobb
Beautiful and the Neighbor-
hood Safety Commission,
among others.
In 2006, Birrell helped
Cobb Police raise $10,200 to
buy two new police dogs.
Birrell was employed as
the community relations
manager for Waste Manage-
ment for 18 years. Since
becoming commissioner,
Birrell said she works part-
time for Waste Management
on a contractual basis.
Birrell is married to Dave,
SOUTHEAST COBB
— As he enters his third
year as commissioner, Bob
Ott said his district will
likely be the first to spark
redevelopment when the
economy returns to some
form of normalcy, and
when it does, he’ll be
ready.
“I am encouraged that in
last day or so, three major
projects that have
been stalled are
going to get started
back up – they’re
being bought out of
foreclosure and get-
ting started again,”
Ott said in February.
“I think the encour-
aging news is we’re
seeing some signs
of redevelopment recently,
with the senior living cen-
ter that was approved in
east Cobb, two subdivi-
sions that are starting back
up, the three I talked about
in the Cumberland area
starting up. So there are
positives, and that brings
jobs. But we want to make
sure we keep the environ-
ment right to encourage
that to continue.”
And when redevelop-
ment gets jump-started
again, the county will be
armed with two master
plans in his area — one for
the Powers Ferry Road cor-
ridor and another for the
Johnson Ferry Road corri-
dor — that will outline the
future of his district.
“I think it’s pretty well-
known that any recovery
would start in District 2, so
that’s why we did those
two plans and the city of
Smyrna has also
approached us about doing
a similar internal study on
the 41 corridor,” Ott said.
As a pilot for Delta Air
Lines, Ott has been across
the world and back. He is
also a senior instructor and
evaluator for the Atlanta-
based airline. He is also
president and
owner of DBO
Software, which he
said mainly assists
with computer
investigations.
Some of Ott’s
previous jobs
include an instruc-
tor and evaluator
in the U.S. Air
Force for 8 ½ years, where
he also flew the FB-111,
and as a middle-grades sci-
ence teacher in New Jersey
for two years. Ott said he
still holds his K-12 certifi-
cation as a math and sci-
ence teacher.
The grassroots politician
said his experience as an
employee in the private
sector, both past and pre-
sent, has helped him to
connect with his residents,
but has also kept him
grounded.
“I still have a regular
job, and I’ve always said
it’s really important to have
that balance. I have a
greater appreciation for all
the aspects involved in gov-
erning. But as a person I’m
still the same and would
attribute that to a regular
job. I still have to take my
kids to school, sit in traffic
and have a boss,” Ott said.
Ott earned a bachelor’s
degree in biology from
Bucknell University in
Pennsylvania in 1979 and a
master’s degree in systems
management from the Uni-
versity of Southern Califor-
nia in 1990. He and his
wife, Judy, have two chil-
dren, daughter Katie, 12,
and son Christopher, 10.
The family lives in east
Cobb, and Ott and his wife
will have been married 17
years in April. They are
members of Mount Bethel
United Methodist Church.
Ott’s district is an indus-
trial hub, as it is the home
to major corporations such
as Home Depot, IBM and
US Sprint. It also includes
the nationally-ranked con-
vention center, Cobb-Galle-
ria Centre.
Other than encouraging
redevelopment, Ott said he
wants to continue with what
he started in February’s
code amendments, when he
helped staff to simplify zon-
ing stipulations so they are
easier for residents to
understand and follow.
“I would like all zoning
stipulations to be straight-
forward, so there’s no mis-
interpretation. I think that
goes along with my num-
ber-one thing, which is
transparency. The county
should always strive to be
as transparent as possible.
Whatever we say we’re
doing, we need to be doing
it, so there are no surpris-
es,” Ott said.
CITIES & COUNTY 3EEMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
COBB BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
MARIETTA — 2010 was full of changes
and challenges as Chairman Tim Lee took the
reins of the county’s government and began to
implement his vision to keep the county finan-
cially sound in a tough economy.
County leadership was officially shaken up
in March when Chairman Sam Olens resigned
from his county seat to run for the state’s attor-
ney general.
In the July special election to fill the
remaining two years of Olens’ term, Lee, who
had been the northeast Cobb commissioner for
eight years, bested political newcomer Larry
Savage.
Since then, he has been the top
dog through a number of important
county issues, such as balancing a
smaller budget with a drop in proper-
ty values; drafting a project list for the
proposed 2011 Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax; dealing with the
resignation of Public Safety Director
Mickey Lloyd amid allegations he
lied about his military service record;
and renewing County Manager David
Hankerson’s contract.
“It’s been exciting and busy. The difference
between district commissioner and chairman is
the commissioners deal more with constituent
issues, while the chairman’s focus is more
countywide with government policy issues and
regional issues,” Lee said. “I feel I bring a
good business discussion, a balance in terms of
what needs to happen versus where folks
would like to go and a good vision as to where
we need to be and how to get there. I like the
fact that I am able to work with a whole set of
new people on bigger, more regional and
countywide issues.”
One of Lee’s goals for this year is the
implementation of a countywide economic
development initiative, which he announced in
February during his annual State of the County
address.
The chairman quoted economist Dr. Roger
Tutterow, who predicted that the economy
won’t get much better for years yet. To over-
come that, Lee announced a countywide eco-
nomic development initiative spearheaded by
the Cobb Chamber, which he said will
“leapfrog any other and put Cobb at
the forefront of economic develop-
ment.”
The initiative is to be wholly
financed by businesses and aims to
better market and lure companies to
Cobb.
Lee predicted the project would
take six to seven months to get fully up
and running. It will bring together
businesses, academia, and economic
development experts, with input as needed
from city and county staff and elected officials.
Ideally, he said, the Chamber initiative
would lure new businesses to Cobb without
ever going through the Chairman’s office.
Lee also said the county would evaluate its
existing business incentive package for ways
to make it stronger. That was a campaign
promise made last summer when he sought
the chairman’s seat, he said, and is “necessary
WEST COBB — In 2010, west Cobb
Commissioner Helen Goreham became the
first woman to be elected to three consecu-
tive terms on the Cobb Board of Commis-
sioners. Her third term began in January.
But Goreham said she is not slowing
down and still has goals to appropriately
develop her district and bring businesses
and job opportunities to Cobb in the
coming years.
“As I always have, I think the
balance is in good planning, and
with our land use plan and with
yearly updates, I think we address
those issues. By sticking to a good
plan, we remove opportunity for
inappropriate development and mis-
information, and that allows us to
stay consistent and fair,” Goreham
said.
“I want to ensure that the housing starts
that we have in partially-started subdivi-
sions and foreclosure properties come in
with the same quality that was originally
zoned, and that we maintain the quality of
housing units and as much of their value as
possible,” Goreham said, of her 2011
goals. “I would also like to assist the rest
of the board in encouraging businesses to
locate to Cobb County and also assist local
businesses as much as we possibly can.
Those two issues are key to my district.”
During his state of the county address in
January, Chairman Tim Lee thanked voters
for electing Goreham to another term. And
after her swearing-in ceremony in January,
Goreham said she looked forward to con-
tinuing to grow as a commissioner and as a
person.
“When I first started, I had no idea of
the different issues I would be dealing
with as commissioner. I came from a zon-
ing background, but here, there
is a range of topics you have to
make decisions on, everything
from storm water to coyotes,”
Goreham said. “Today, I have a
better feel of the different issues
and I think I have grown as far
as the operations of the county,
my knowledge of the issues, and
my approach to dealing with
individuals on the issues. And
every day brings with it a new set of
issues.”
Goreham was born and raised thousands
of miles away in Long Island, N.Y. She
and her husband, Len, have two adult chil-
dren — a son and a daughter. Goreham and
Len have lived in the county for 23 years,
after spending two years in San Diego as
newlyweds.
Goreham, who trained as a physical
therapist, holds an undergraduate degree
from Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse,
N.Y., and a master’s degree in health care
administration from National University in
San Diego.
TIM LEE: CHAIRMAN
JOANN BIRRELL: DISTRICT 3
HELEN GOREHAM: DISTRICT 1
BOB OTT: DISTRICT 2
[email protected] | (770) 528-3300
[email protected] | (770) 528-3317
[email protected] | (770) 528-3313
[email protected] | (770) 528-3316
Tim Lee
Helen Goreham
JoAnn Birrell
Bob Ott
Stories by Katy Ruth Camp | [email protected]
WOODY THOMPSON: DISTRICT 4
[email protected] | (770) 528-3312
Woody Thompson
See Lee, 7EE
See Birrell, 7EE
See Thompson, 7EE
AUSTELL
www.austell.org • 770-944-4300
2716 Broad Street, Austell, Georgia 30106
Council Members: Kirsten Anderson, Trudie Causey, Randy Green,
Virginia Reagan, Martin Standard, Scott Thomas
the friendly city,
is growing with Cobb.
Joseph L. Jerkins, Mayor
By Katy Ruth Camp
MARIETTA — In the
year-plus since the Cobb
County Safety Village
opened, county officials say
it has proven to be an effi-
cient, interactive and posi-
tive model for safety
education.
“It’s an absolutely won-
derful facility and benefit to
the community,” Cobb
Chairman Tim Lee said.
“We’re so grateful it’s here
in Cobb County and that
(County Manager) David
Hankerson stuck with the
vision he had for so many
years and worked so hard to
make that vision a reality.
We’re able to teach children
more holistically and com-
pletely in terms of safety,
fire and traffic. It’s second
to none, and I hope the next
generation, as they age, will
have a safer environment as
a result of the education
they received at the safety
village.”
Hankerson said the idea
for a safety village came
shortly after he was appoint-
ed as county manager in
1993, when he began look-
ing to make the county’s
budget more efficient.
At the time, Cobb fire-
fighters were traveling to
each of the elementary
schools in the county to pre-
sent safety lessons. The
crews took along a mobile
unit that resembled a home
and allowed the firefighters
to replicate safety lessons,
such as “stop, drop and
roll.” While the lessons
were worthwhile, not to
mention mandated by the
state, it was costing the
county a lot of overtime pay
for firefighters, and only a
few students could partici-
pate at a time, said Capt.
Scott Dodson, who is the
coordinator of the new Safe-
ty Village.
That’s when a county
employee who hails from St.
Louis talked to Hankerson
about that city’s safety vil-
lage, and Hankerson began
researching other cities with
similar offerings. It seemed
like a good idea, but stayed
on the back burner while
other issues took prece-
dence.
But by 2004, Hankerson
said, problems with the old
program began to increase.
So he went to Canada,
which has several safety vil-
lages, to check them out for
himself.
And this time, the seed of
the idea began to take root.
Dodson said that soon
after the trip, the county
formed steering committees
to formulate what the public
and county wanted to see at
a safety village. In mid-
2007, the Board of Commis-
sioners allocated $5.2 mil-
lion from the county’s fire
fund to build the main
teaching facility. The pro-
ject — the first of its kind in
Georgia and one of only two
in the Southeast — broke
ground in February 2008,
and was officially open for
business on Aug. 1, 2009.
Since then, 30,000 sec-
ond- and fourth-grade stu-
dents have been taught at
the village, and ideas and
education programs continue
to grow and evolve, Dodson
said.
“When our instructors
were going out, we had 28
instructors every day in the
schools and it was very
labor-intensive and expen-
sive salary-wise. Since we
have brought students here,
we’ve been able to reduce
staff and reduce overtime
costs by 36 percent. It’s
done what it was built to
do,” Dodson said.
The campus is made up
of a main education facility
with mini replicas of build-
ings such as the Strand The-
atre and the new Superior
courthouse, a look-alike
Marietta Square, mini roads
with traffic signals, side-
walks and pedestrian cross-
ings and “Sparky’s House,”
a home that generates fake
smoke and teaches kids how
to feel walls for fire, climb
out of windows down a lad-
der, and move through
smoke.
In the transportation
areas, kids can ride bicycles
and learn to stop at red
lights and stop signs. There
are electric go-carts they can
drive on the roads. A school
bus, donated by the Cobb
County School District,
teaches kids how and where
to stop when a bus does.
The county will soon have
railroad crossings with
lights and arms that go up
and down, and the City of
Kennesaw has donated
funds for a train depot to
teaches train safety. There
are three signaled intersec-
tions, with a pedestrian
crossing.
Dodson said the village
can accommodate multiple
students groups at the same
time, with up to eight class-
es every day. Four full-time
firefighters are assigned at
the village, along with two
full-time police officers.
Thirty-six other firefighters
are trained to teach there.
The village still has
dozens of spaces for spon-
sors to build more specialty
buildings. Cobb EMC, for
example, is nearing comple-
tion of its building, which
will focus on electrical
safety.
Sponsorships are also
available for the fleet of 35
electric cars, and street nam-
ings and such. Proceeds
from sponsorships go
toward construction in the
village.
“The facility can also be
used as a multi-purpose
facility, and there are more
and more benefits to the
public far beyond what we
ever envisioned,” Hanker-
son said. “We’re tracking
the numbers and facts by
quarter and year so we can
see the trends that are
developing, and we’re
looking at ways we could
double or triple the number
of kids we serve by work-
ing out logistics. We
worked with the school
systems to develop a good
program, and we haven’t
had one complaint from the
school system or anyone
else.”
The main educational
building at the village is
named in honor of Hanker-
son.
“All of the reviews and
comments we’ve received
have been overwhelmingly
positive,” he said. “It’s been
great.”
Above: Cobb County fire-
fighter Joel Earwood
explains to fourth-graders
from the Marietta Center
for Advanced Academics
how to crawl to the door
and feel to see if it is hot
before opening before the
smoke detector goes off
in Sparky's Bedroom at
the Cobb County Safety
Village. Left: Cobb
County firefighter Matt
Ereddia ensures that
fourth-grader Aarushi
Tandon, 9, safely makes
her way down a fire lad-
der located in the window
of Sparky's Bedroom.
�Staff/Laura Moon
Village a model in safety education
By Jon Gillooly
MARIETTA — Residents
in Cobb will have just one or
two days at the ballot box this
year. Countywide, a special
referendum will be conducted
March 15 on the 2011
SPLOST. In November, five
cities will have municipal
elections.
Four of those cities —
Austell, Kennesaw, Smyrna
and Powder Springs — will
have mayoral races on the bal-
lot in November.
In the SPLOST referen-
dum, voters countywide will
decide in a special election
whether to pay the 1 percent
sales tax for four years, to
help the county finance parks
and road improvements. If
voters agree, the 2011 special
purpose local option sales tax
is expected to generate $492
million over the four years.
Collections would begin Jan.
1, 2012 — just as collections
of the current SPLOST expire
on Dec. 31, 2011.
Cobb Elections Director
Janine Eveler said early voting
opens at her office on Feb. 21
and continues through March
11. Any registered voter may
cast a ballot during those
weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5
p.m. The office is at 736
Whitlock Ave. in Marietta.
Another option is to vote
by mail. Applications for a
vote by mail ballot are avail-
able at
www.CobbElections.org and
mail-in ballots must be
received by 7 p.m. March 15.
In the week before the spe-
cial election, more locations
will be open for county voters
to cast their ballots. Advance
voting will be held from 8
a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday,
March 7 through Friday,
March 11 at the locations list-
ed below.
n East Cobb Government
Service Center, 4400 Lower
Roswell Rd., Marietta, 30068-
4233.
n South Cobb Community
Center, 620 Lions Club Drive,
Mableton, 30126-2438.
n Northstar Church, 3413
Blue Springs Road NW, Ken-
nesaw, 30144-1082.
n Boots Ward Recreation
Center, Lost Mountain Park,
4845 Dallas Highway, Powder
Springs 30127-4486.
Cobb Elections Main
Office, 736 Whitlock Ave.,
(West Park Government Cen-
ter) Marietta, 30064-4663
For the November munici-
pal elections, candidate quali-
fying will be during the week
of Aug. 29, Eveler said.
The city of Acworth con-
ducts its own election. Seats
held by Post 1 Alderman
Albert “Butch” Price; Post 2
Alderman Doug Allen; and
Post 3 Bob Weatherford are
up for election this year.
Austell also conducts its
own election, and longtime
Mayor Joe Jerkins will seek
another term this year. Three
council seats are up for elec-
tion. They are the Ward 2
post now held by Scott
Thomas; Ward 4 seat held by
Virginia Reagan; and the at-
large seat held by Randy
Green.
Kennesaw Mayor Mark
Mathews will seek a new term
this year. His city likewise
handles its own municipal
elections. Two council seats,
those held by Cris Eaton
Welsh and Tim Killingsworth
are up for election.
In Powder Springs, which
contracts the county to con-
duct its election, Mayor Pat
Vaughn is up for re-election,
and the council seats held by
Rosalyn Neal (Post 1) and
Tom Bevirt (Post 2) will be up
for election.
Smyrna also contracts with
the county to conduct its elec-
tion. Citizens there will elect a
mayor and all seven council
seats. Longtime incumbent
Max Bacon will seek reelec-
tion, though two other candi-
dates — Alex Backry, a fre-
quent critic of Bacon, and
Donna Woodham, who oppos-
es the city’s TAD-backed Bel-
mont Hills redevelopment —
are expected to run.
Elections director Eveler
said the best thing about her
job is working with the fantas-
tic people who conduct elec-
tions here in Cobb and
throughout the state.
“Those who came before
me have said it is a passion
that gets in your blood,” she
said. “No one would work as
hard as we do and put in the
crazy hours we do unless
they’re really hooked. We
believe in the importance of
our task — to provide fair and
accurate elections that are
convenient and accessible to
all voters.”
Eveler advises voters to
update their registration if
they move, even if they are
just moving within the county.
Voters can check their regis-
tration status, polling location,
and get early voting informa-
tion online at www.sos.
georgia.gov/MVP.
Voters to decide on SPLOST in MarchFive cities will
have municipal
elections this fall
Staff/file
Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration Director
Janine Eveler said early voting opens at her office on Feb.
21 and continues through March 11.
CITIES & COUNTY4EE MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
CITIES & COUNTY 5EEMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
By Jon Gillooly
MARIETTA — Mayor
Steve “Thunder” Tumlin
delivered an upbeat State of
the City address to a crowd of
about 140 people during the
Cobb Chamber of Com-
merce’s Marietta Area Coun-
cil Meeting in January at the
Mansour Center.
Even Tumlin’s sometime
rival on the City Council,
Philip Goldstein, seemed
pleased with the talk.
“It was a good, positive
speech,” Goldstein said.
“The thrust of it was posi-
tive, very pro-city, very
upbeat, which it should be.
Very reflective of how things
are in the city.”
Crediting Marietta Police
Chief Dan Flynn with the ini-
tiative, Tumlin spoke of how
the city was the first in the
state to restrict businesses that
dispense addictive painkillers.
“The states around us are
tightening up on these people
that like to dispense Oxycon-
tin like they dispense cough
drops, and we just don’t want
those folks in our communi-
ty,” Tumlin said.
Tumlin said Marietta was
also the first in Cobb County
to create opportunity zones, in
which the city encourages
businesses to locate or expand
in parts of the city through the
use of state tax credits. He
credited Economic Develop-
ment Manager Beth Sessoms
with that.
“We were the first in the
state that created three,” Tum-
lin said, noting that the com-
puter-oriented firm TASQ
brought 350 jobs to the city
when it located in an opportu-
nity zone along Canton Road.
Regarding business per-
mits, Tumlin said that for a
three-year period business
licenses were going down
from a high of 9,000, but this
last year they increased from
7,300 to 8,000.
Tumlin said in the last four
years the city’s general fund
budget has dropped from $52
million to $48 million due to
the recession. But even with a
decrease in revenues, the city
has not had to cut its services,
he said.
“Right now our income is
flat and one of the reasons is
we’re not solely dependent on
property tax,” he said. “It’s
around 20 percent of our total
revenue. We have the lowest
tax rate of any county or city
in the metro area, and we’re
very, very proud of that, and
we’ve kept it. But even
though our property values
have fallen, it’s not devastat-
ing to our budget.”
A big reason for the city’s
low tax rate is that the city-
owned utility, Marietta Power
and Water, contributes mil-
lions of dollars to the city’s
general fund each year. In fis-
cal 2011, the transfer will
total $11.5 million.
In the last 10 years, Tum-
lin said the city has spent
more than $97 million from
SPLOST proceeds and state
stimulus money to improve
the city.
“You see the results in our
trails, more sidewalks, brick
sidewalks and brick cross-
walks,” he said.
The city has concentrated
on its four main gateways —
Roswell and Franklin roads,
and Fairground and Powder
Springs streets — to make
them more attractive and safer
with medians and curb cuts.
Preliminary construction work
is underway for a roundabout
at the corner of Fairground
and Allgood Road.
“I think you’re going to
see the traffic flow in that area
much better,” he said.
As one of 49 cities in
Georgia that belong to the
Municipal Electric Authority
of Georgia, Marietta Power
has the most competitive
rates in the county, Tumlin
said. And with coal plants
under fire, the city has
invested in cleaner, more
efficient nuclear energy as a
source of electricity for resi-
dents, he said.
Tumlin also spoke at
length on the city’s plans for
the $25 million parks bond
voters approved in November
2009.
Long neglected by the city,
the 10.6-acre Hickory Hills
Park on Chestnut Hill Road
off Powder Springs Street is
set to reopen in November
after a $1.75 million facelift.
“That is one that is going
to be a showcase for the city,”
the mayor said.
Tumlin described the park
as, “The one that’s near and
dear to my heart because I
ride by it every day. We trad-
ed with the Marietta Board of
Education for Hickory Hills
Park, that was owned by the
Board of Education, and it’s
getting ready to come out of
the ground.”
The city’s designs for the
park include two children’s
soccer fields, an elevated hill
for parents to monitor their
children, a playground area
with fencing and shaded seat-
ing areas for parents, a
restroom building, a large
pavilion available for rent,
two tennis courts, a walking
trail and picnic tables, as well
as a parking lot that could
hold 139 vehicles.
In 2006, Marietta’s school
board swapped the park for
the city’s old fire station on
Polk and Winn streets.
Although the school system
has long since renovated the
firehouse as the headquarters
of the school district’s foun-
dation, little has been done
with the park, although not for
lack of trying.
In 2007, then-Mayor Bill
Dunaway proposed renaming
the park after Tumlin’s late
parents, Virginia and Steve
Tumlin Sr., but was blocked
by council members Philip
Goldstein and Annette
Lewis. Dunaway never could
garner the four votes needed
to rename Hickory Hills.
And in 2008, during a
council retreat and prior to the
parks bond being approved,
City Manager Bill Bruton said
the city had about $2 million
to spend on park renovations,
suggesting the money be used
for Hickory Hills.
But Goldstein complained
that the blighted Franklin
Road area he represents on
the east side of town was
being ignored. Lewis also
argued against the renova-
tions, citing Hickory Hills
Elementary School’s dwin-
dling enrollment.
Goldstein’s argument for
Franklin Road getting noth-
ing is no longer valid. In
February 2010, the city spent
$2.7 million to buy the 13-
acre Preston Chase apart-
ments on Franklin Road near
Delk Road from Regions
Bank, and spent another
$410,643 with Environmen-
tal Holdings Group, LLC of
Buford to demolish the com-
plex, turning the area into
parkland.
Tumlin also touted his
push for greater transparency
by moving all council meet-
ings from the cramped fourth-
floor conference room of City
Hall to the spacious council
chamber, as well as uploading
video of all meetings on the
city’s website for public view-
ing.
Additionally in 2010,
Tumlin said he was glad lead-
ers sided with him on a push
to reduce the time frame for
demolition permits from three
years to 18 months.
“That was something I
pushed, and I was greatly
rewarded,” he said. “Two
days after I did it, we had a
building demolished on the
Square.”
Tumlin said he was
pleased with efforts of down-
town shopkeepers, who have
formed an eight-member non-
profit board called The Brand-
ing Project, to brainstorm
ways to attract visitors to
downtown Marietta.
“Marietta’s committed to
offer you the best in ser-
vice,” Tumlin said. “We
want to protect you … We’re
going to enhance our history
and promote our tourism, but
we’re also looking forward
to the future. Marietta wants
to stay a town that offers a
small-town atmosphere, but
with big-town opportunity.”
Tumlin touts a mighty Marietta‘Marietta’s committed to
offer you the best in service.
We want to protect you …
We’re going to enhance our
history and promote our
tourism, but we’re also
looking forward to the future.’
— Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin
Staff/file
Accomplishments include opportunity
zones, balanced budget, transparency
CITIES & COUNTY6EE MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
By Kathryn Malone
POWDER SPRINGS
— Mayor Pat Vaughn said
she will remember one of the
city’s greatest accomplish-
ments in 2010 as the comple-
tion and opening of the 10-
year Lewis Road project.
The $14 million project,
which was funded by
SPLOST and federal trans-
portation dollars, created a
new entranceway to the city
by connecting CH James
Parkway to Lewis Road to
Marietta Street, the city’s
main street. That entrance-
way opened in December,
and helped the city solve the
problem of traffic stopping at
the train tracks by creating an
overpass over the tracks.
“It offers a new entrance
way into our downtown area,”
Vaughn said. “Now people
can come into the city with-
out being held up by train.
They have an easier access to
our downtown area.”
Another great accomplish-
ment in 2010, Vaughn said
was the pedestrian bridge
over the intersection of Old
Lost Mountain Road and
Richard Sailors Parkway on
the Silver Comet Trail. Con-
struction on the $547,000
bridge began in fall 2010 and
it was open by the end of the
year. Funded fully by
SPLOST, Vaughn said the
bridge provides a safer cross-
ing at Old Lost Mountain
Road for pedestrians and
bicyclists.
In her State of the City
address on Jan. 18, Vaughn
said Powder Springs, a city
of 15,958 people, enjoyed
relative success in 2010,
despite the economy.
The city cut its fiscal year
2011 budget by $688,000
amid a decrease in property
tax revenues, Vaughn said.
As a result, officials had to
lay off five full-time and nine
part-time employees, she
said. The city also cut back
on landscaping efforts and
delayed resurfacing some city
streets. For next year’s bud-
get, which begins Oct. 1,
Vaughn said the city antici-
pates further cuts because of
the continued decline in prop-
erty values. The general fund
budget for FY11 is $7.02
million, while the budget in
FY10 was $7.7 million.
Vaughn boasted that 22
single-family home building
permits were issued in 2010,
while only three were issued
in all of 2009. The city saw a
net gain of 92 additional
businesses in 2010, compared
with a net loss of four busi-
nesses in 2009. But occupa-
tional taxes collected in 2010
fell by $44,000, Vaughn said,
which suggests that local
businesses are still struggling.
“Despite the economic
downturn,” Vaughn said, “we
have still been able to keep our
head above water, keep our
reserves, keep it to a minimum
the number of employees that
unfortunately we had to let go,
and hopefully some day when
the economy turns back
around, we’ll be able to have
those employees back again.”
Powder Springs hired a
new city manager in 2010,
Rick Eckert, who started
work in May. Two new City
Council members were sworn
in January 2010, Cheryl
Sarvis and Nancy Hudson.
Vaughn said her city and
its employees are still working
to recover from the devastat-
ing flood of 2009. Working
with Cobb County, the city
obtained hazard mitigation
funding to bulldoze 16 homes
in the floodplain. The proper-
ties cost about $2.4 million to
purchase, with 85 percent of
the funding coming from fed-
eral and state funds.
In her State of the City
speech, Vaughn also high-
lighted several SPLOST pro-
jects like Lewis Road and the
pedestrian bridge and touted
that the city had nearly com-
pleted its Community
Enhancement Master Plan.
“Even though it has been a
very slow year economically,
we have still been able to
bring to fruition some of our
projects that had been on the
drawing board since we
adopted the Community
Enhancement Master Plan in
1996,” Vaughn said. “And
I’m so proud that I have been
able to be here long enough
to see all of these projects
come to fruition.”
Gateway to Powder SpringsMayor boasts better access to downtown area
Powder Springs
Mayor Pat Vaughn
speaks to resi-
dents during the
monthly Breakfast
with the Mayor at
Bailey’s Diner on
Jan. 18. Vaughn
touted the 10-year
Lewis Road pro-
ject, which created
a new entrance-
way to the city by
connecting CH
James Parkway to
Lewis Road to
Marietta Street,
the city’s main
street.
�
Staff/Anthony Stalcup
By Marcus E. Howard
AUSTELL — Mayor
Joe Jerkins recently
addressed a range of issues
affecting his city, which has
suffered a significant drop
in population and tax rev-
enue since the devastating
flood of 2009.
The flood damaged
about 700 homes.
It’s estimated that
only half of their
occupants have
moved back into
them. The city plans
to purchase 23 of
the homes at a cost
of $2.1 million, of
which the city pays
15 percent. The
Georgia Emergency Man-
agement Agency and Feder-
al Emergency Management
Agency would pay the
remainder. Eight homes
have already been pur-
chased, Jerkins said in his
state of the city speech this
year. An additional 61
homes could be eligible for
purchase within the next
five years, he said. The city
would be reimbursed for 75
percent of the cost.
The resulting decline in
property values has led to a
33.3 percent drop in proper-
ty tax revenue, the mayor
reported. Austell officials
expect to collect a little
more than $400,000 this
year. The city has a $12 mil-
lion budget.
Jerkins said the value of
his own home — which was
not damaged by flooding –
was cut by about 15 percent.
The city of Austell may
be forced to change its
health insurance for its 100
employees, as rates have
increased over the past few
years, Jerkins said.
The cost increased by 16
percent this year, 14 percent
in 2010, and 8 percent the
previous year, Jerkins said.
The cost for an individual,
which is entirely covered by
the city, is about $51 per
week, he said. The family
plan, which the city pays 75
percent of, costs about $400
per week. Austell has
already changed providers
three times.
“It’s gotten real expen-
sive for us. We’re going to
have to make some different
arrangements,” Jerkins said.
He said he expects
officials to tackle
the issue in about
two months.
The cost of
health care is anoth-
er issue that
Austell’s longtime
mayor will have to
grapple with as he
begins the last year
of his four-year term.
The mayor said that
Austell residents can expect
to see an increase in their
stormwater management
fees. He said the fee will
rise from $1 to $3 per
month. And it’s likely to
gradually increase over the
next few years to $5 per
month.
“We’ve been underfund-
ed,” Jerkins said. “It’s cost-
ing us more than we’ve been
charging. Other (cities) have
been charging a lot more.”
However, a gas bill
donation program, which
allows customers to donate
up to $10 to help others,
raised more than $20,000
in 2010, the mayor report-
ed. Matching funds by
Austell Natural Gas are
being donated to Sweetwa-
ter Valley Community
Action Mission Program
Inc. in Austell.
To help pay for needed
infrastructure improvement
projects in the city, Jerkins
said he is supporting the
county’s proposed 2011
SPLOST. He said the city
expects to receive $1 million
per year from the one-per-
cent special sales tax over
the four years of collections.
Joe Jerkins
Mayor Jerkins: Austell is
wading through changes
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for us to succeed. The con-
sensus between the govern-
ment and business communi-
ty was that economic devel-
opment needed to be stepped
up, and for us to come to a
consensus.”
As for the kind of impact
he hopes this initiative will
have a year from now, Lee
said: “I hope we will have
recognition of our program at
the state, national and inter-
national levels as one of the
best economic development
programs offered, and to
have growth and impact in
all four of the areas I dis-
cussed — job creation, busi-
ness expansion, business
retention and an expansion of
tourism.”
Lee lives in northeast
Cobb with his wife of 21
years, Annette, and they have
three children and five grand-
children between them. Cobb
County has been Lee’s home
for 23 years.
Before holding elective
office, Lee was president of
the Northeast Cobb Home-
owners Group for two years.
He has also been on the
board of the Cobb County
Civic Coalition, and was
director of the East Cobb
Civic Association for a time.
He also served a decade as
president of his neighbor-
hood homeowner’s
association.
Lee has also served on the
board of MUST Ministries,
where his wife works, and is
past chairman and current
board member of the Cobb
Symphony Orchestra.
Currently, Lee serves on
the board of the North Geor-
gia State Fair.He also serves
the Association of County
Commissioners’ of Georgia
as their appointment to the
Advisory Board of the North
Central Georgia Law
Enforcement Academy. He
also belongs to the Marietta
Kiwanis Club and Marietta
First United Methodist
Church.
CITIES & COUNTY 7EEMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
Continued from Page 3EE
Lee
and has a stepson and step-
daughter she said she consid-
ers her own. Birrell grew up
in a small town in eastern
North Carolina near the coast
called Goldsboro. She gradu-
ated from the University of
North Carolina at Greensboro
with a degree in political sci-
ence and attended paralegal
school in Atlanta.
After working in the
North Carolina attorney gen-
eral’s office for eight years,
she sought work in the sales
and marketing field. A job in
the waste industry brought
her to the Atlanta area in the
late 1980s.
Birrell and her family are
members of the Catholic
Church of St. Ann in east
Cobb. She also served on
Parish Council at St.
Joseph’s in Marietta and vol-
unteered at Kennestone Hos-
pital.
Birrell said the biggest
issue facing her district today
is the lack of jobs.
“There are some empty
retail strip centers in my dis-
trict, but it could be worse.
That’s why I started Keep it
in Cobb, to try to keep busi-
nesses alive.” Birrell said,
referring to a business devel-
opment initiative she
announced during her cam-
paign and launched in Janu-
ary. That initiative brings
together local business own-
ers to develop strategies and
recommendations to the
board to bring — and keep
— businesses in Cobb.
Continued from Page 3EE
Birrell
good development — John
Weiland has built two mixed-
use developments, one at Dis-
covery Boulevard and another
at Pebblebrook Road — and
some of these homes are in
excess of a million dollars.
But in the downtown area, it’s
quite old and depressed and
needs a kick-start. That’s why
I pushed to get library relocat-
ed from the East-West Con-
nector to where it is now near
the Arts Center and Mable
House Amphitheatre. The
form-based code is at the cor-
nerstone of what we want to
do there,” Thompson said.
Thompson grew up in East
Point but moved to Cobb as a
child in 1956. He served as
District 4 commissioner from
1997 to 2004, before being
elected once again in 2008.
Thompson first served on the
Board of Commissioners as a
Republican, but now sits on
the board as a Democrat as he
said he felt he could reach
more of his constituents with
the switch.
Thompson is a licensed real
estate broker and owns Thomp-
son Realty Advisors, LLC.
Continued from Page 3EE
Thompson
Sixteen new businesses
opened in Kennesaw last year,
including an insurance compa-
ny, fitness center, tanning
salon and pizza restaurant.
The application and issuance
of business licenses in the city
have remained steady, Math-
ews said.
The city of Kennesaw
annexed roughly 50 acres of
land in 2010, the mayor
reported, thanks to the expan-
sion of Beaumont Products on
Big Shanty Drive, which has
created 80 new jobs; the
planned relocation of Kenne-
saw Charter School into a
100,000-square-foot facility
on Cobb Parkway; and a Ken-
nesaw State University student
housing project at Shiloh and
Frey roads, which construc-
tion will begin on this spring.
Mathews touted a 14 per-
cent decrease in the city’s
crime rate in 2010, the lowest
since 2002. Kennesaw is the
only city in Cobb in which no
homicide has occurred in the
past two years, he said.
Continued from Page 2EE
Kennesaw
By Kathryn Malone
SMYRNA — Although
2010 was a difficult econom-
ic year for most city govern-
ments, Smyrna Mayor Max
Bacon said he is proud that
amid cuts, the city is still
able to provide its residents
with key city services.
“I still feel that Smyrna
provides the best services to
our citizens as any communi-
ty in Cobb County or the
state of Georgia,” Bacon
said.
Although the city’s gener-
al fund budget has dropped
14 percent in the last two
years, Bacon insists that the
city is still financially strong.
“We are fiscally sound
because we’re pretty conserv-
ative in a lot of things,”
Bacon said.
Smyrna’s fiscal year bud-
get for 2011, which began
Oct. 1, 2010, is $65.2 mil-
lion. Its FY10 budget was
$65.6 million.
The city has made various
cuts, spokeswoman Jennifer
Bennett said, including con-
solidating the parks facility
maintenance with the public
works department; reorganiz-
ing the parks administrative
staffing; reducing health
insurance for city employees;
and eliminating salary
increases for employees. San-
itation and recycling crews
were also reduced by one
crew each, but the city was
able to do so by streamling
those routes, she said.
Although the city has lost
11 full-time and seven part-
time positions in the last
year, Bennett said that many
of those positions were lost
through retirement or result-
ing from the reorganization
of city departments.
“We had some attrition
and some people were moved
over,” Bennett said. “So we
didn’t just come right out and
lay off people. We worked
on efficiency.”
Smyrna has not cut its
public safety personnel, Ben-
nett said.
According to the latest
Census Bureau data, Smyrna
has 50,712 residents in its 15
square miles. The median age
is 33 and the median house-
hold income $55,468.
Housing starts in Smyrna
were up this year over 2009
by 15 percent. In 2010, 54
housing permits were issued
in the city, while in 2009, 45
permits were issued.
Bacon said he was pleased
to finally see some new
homes being built in Smyrna.
“In 2010 we saw a little
bit, not much, of new subdi-
visions going up,” he said.
“And those that were going
up they were very well-
planned developments.
Before they were $600,000
homes. Now they’re more
like $300,000 homes, but
they’re still good quality
homes to our community.”
The city has seen many of
its redevelopment efforts
stalled by the recession in
recent years, but Bacon said
he was hopeful in 2011.
Although Jonquil Plaza
went into foreclosure in
2010, Bacon said he expects
that to help the redevelop-
ment of the plaza.
“Probably 2011 is going
to be a very positive year for
us in that particular shopping
center,” Bacon said. “I think
you’re going to see develop-
ment on it because of the
foreclosure, not the magni-
tude of what they said they
were going to do. That was
sort of a negative that hap-
pened for us, but it will turn
into a positive.”
In December 2010, the
city bought the 48-acre Hick-
ory Lake Apartments, on Old
Concord Road near Windy
Hill, for $9 million and plans
to demolish it, which will
cost about $4 million.
The city has high hopes
that the land will help spark
redevelopment in north Smyr-
na, especially with the uptick
in traffic that is expected
when the Windy Hill connec-
tor is completed in May.
“In the very near future
you’re going to see that that
was a very wise to purchase
that property,” Bacon said.
The new 52-acre North
Cooper Lake Park and city of
Smyrna Community Garden
was opened in September.
The park, at 4201 North
Cooper Lake Road off Con-
cord Road, contains a paved
walking trail, an off-road bike
trail and meadow. However,
the park’s community garden,
which has plots for lease to
Smyrna residents, has created
the most excitement.
Residents have already
begun growing lettuce,
spinach, collards and toma-
toes, among other vegetables,
in the garden plots.
Bennett said plots are still
available for rent and the first
phase of the project has been
“enormously successful.”
By Marcus E. Howard
ACWORTH — Acworth
is a city looking forward to its
future.
In a January speech, Mayor
Tommy Allegood reported a
12 percent increase in job
growth since late 2009.
Allegood credited the
city’s new opportunity zone
program in downtown
Acworth with creating the
trend by providing incentives
for business owners. In 2010,
50 new businesses invested in
Acworth, the mayor said.
While Cobb County’s
unemployment rate has hov-
ered around 10 percent for
several
months,
Allegood
highlighted
45 new jobs
brought by
Main Street
Family
Physicians.
The medical
practice
opened in an old Piggly Wig-
gly after moving from Kenne-
saw, where it was previously
called Kennesaw Family
Physicians.
By the end of year, the
physicians practice is expected
to bring 10 to 15 more jobs to
downtown. Marietta Imaging
Center has also opened a loca-
tion in Acworth.
“That doesn’t happen by
accident,” Allegood said.
The city’s opportunity zone
includes portions of Main
Street, North Main Street and
Cherokee Street. Businesses
— including existing ones —
are eligible to receive a
$3,500-per-employee tax cred-
it from the state when two or
more jobs are created.
Among several other busi-
nesses opening in Acworth is
an NTB auto parts store this
spring and a RaceTrac gas sta-
tion in the fall, Allegood said.
“We offer our citizens
great services and we don’t
raise taxes,” the mayor said.
“We do a great job for our
community.”
He praised Community
Development Director Chris-
tine Dobbs for working with
builders, developers and
banks to redevelop foreclosed
subdivisions. The city issued
30 housing permits and
closed 45 new homes in
2010, said Allegood.
The city also completed
several SPLOST projects in
2010, including traffic
improvements to Nance
Road at Main Street, and
Old McEver at Main Street.
Forty new parking spaces
were created and streetscape
improvements on Senator
Russell Avenue are in
progress, Allegood reported.
He said it was important
for the proposed 2011
SPLOST to be approved by
voters in March in order to
fund three new projects: a new
police station for a growing
department, traffic reconfigu-
ration on Mars Hill Road at
Cobb Parkway and silent rail-
road crossings.
The mayor also spoke of
plans to improve 100 acres
downtown. He said the city
plans to bulldoze the Moon
Street public housing to rede-
velop the land and widen
School Street.
Using Section 8 vouchers,
residents have already been
moved out of Carruth Street
public housing, built in 1945,
to make way for Walton Prop-
erties to construct Legacy Vil-
lage. Construction should
begin within months, Alle-
good said.
The mayor also spoke
excitedly about the new North
Cobb Ninth Grade Academy,
which will draw students from
Awtrey and Barber middle
schools. It is expected to be
completed in the fall.
In his State of the City
speech, the mayor stressed
the importance of maintain-
ing a good quality of life in
the city. He briefly reported
that violent crime was down
by 90 percent and that prop-
erty crimes were down by 22
percent.
Acworth sees job creation, growth in tough times
Tommy Allegood
Staff/file
Despite cuts, Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon said, ‘I still feel
that Smyrna provides the best services to our citizens as
any community in Cobb County or the state of Georgia.’
Mayor Bacon: Smyrna tops in service
GROWTH & REVITALIZATION8EE MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
PROGRESS 2011PROGRESS 2011REAL ESTATEREAL ESTATE
MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL � FEBRUARY 27, 2011SECTION FF / 6 OF 8
MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL � FEBRUARY 27, 2011SECTION FF / 6 OF 8
REDEVELOPMENT APPLAUDED 6FFWIN-WIN FOR BUYER, SELLER 3FF
INSIDE:
‘OURFAVORITE
PLACE’
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PLACE’COBB QUICKLY BECOMESSPECIAL TO THIS FAMILY
— 5FF
COBB QUICKLY BECOMESSPECIAL TO THIS FAMILY
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By Donna Espy
There’s a new name in the
Cobb real estate market, but
the face behind the name is
very familiar.
Sotheby’s International
Realty has come to Cobb,
and longtime Realtor Jim
Glover is the agent represent-
ing them in the Marietta and
west Cobb areas.
Residents may be familiar
with the Sotheby’s name
thanks to their famous 200-
year-old New York auction
house. But it was more than
the name that lured Glover
away from Harry Norman
Realtors, where he had been
an agent in its Marietta office
for nine years, and reigned as
the No. 1 transaction agent
from 2005 to 2008.
“Atlanta Fine Homes
Sotheby’s is a family busi-
ness, owned by Jenny Pruitt
and her son-in-law David
Boehmig,” Glover said. “I
liked it because of the per-
sonal service it provides, the
international outreach and the
state-of-the-art marketing.
These were all big factors in
changing jobs. I was not
unhappy where I was.”
While he was the No. 1
sales agent each of his nine
years at Harry Norman, he
admits his new position has
rekindled the real estate
flame.
“There are professionals at
Sotheby’s who are challeng-
ing me to increase my busi-
ness,” said Glover, whose
office is in Buckhead on
Northside Parkway.
Atlanta Fine Homes
Sotheby’s International Real-
ty was formed by Jenny
Pruitt after selling her com-
pany to investor Warren Buf-
fett, Glover said. Pruitt had
led her own firm in the
Atlanta area since 1988,
growing it to more than $1.5
billion in annual sales and
450 agents. After fulfilling
her no-compete clause, Pruitt
ventured back into the real
estate market with the Sothe-
by’s name, getting the exclu-
sive affiliation for the Atlanta
region.
The Sotheby’s realty net-
work has more than 25,700
properties listed in the United
States, with 40 percent ask-
ing above $1 million and five
percent asking above $5 mil-
lion. Internationally, the com-
pany represents more than
3,800 properties in countries
like Germany, Slovakia,
Vietnam, Greece, Cyprus and
Italy.
In May 2009, it opened
offices in Atanta, with 20
agents serving the metro
area. That year, Atlanta Fine
Homes Sotheby’s Interna-
tional Realty had the most
expensive single-family
home sale ever recorded
($16,500,000) and the most
expensive condo in recent
history (the penthouse at The
Mansion on Peachtree sold
for $9,500,000). Last year,
the firm sold the most expen-
sive home in Atlanta, listed
at $13,900,000.
While Cobb may not boast
those home prices, Glover
said he is happy to be work-
ing in “my sphere of influ-
ence.” A Cobb resident,
Glover is the great-great-
great-grandson of Marietta’s
first mayor – John Heyward
Glover, Jr. He knows about
Cobb, its history and the his-
torical homes that still dot the
county.
“I live in an old house,
and about 25 percent of my
business is in historical prop-
erties,” said Glover, who
moved his 1855 house from
Marietta to west Cobb near
Kennesaw Mountain in 1989.
“I know the old houses and
the old house language that
goes with it,” he said, adding
he lists homes at any price
range.
Carol Moson, president of
the Cobb Association of
Realtors and an agent for
Re/Max Greater Atlanta
Realtors, said she is glad to
see Sotheby’s enter the Cobb
market.
“It’s good for everyone,
and they especially deal with
high-end homes,” Moson
said. “Hopefully, they’ll get
more of them sold.”
She added that the current
housing market has seen a
glut of inventory on the mar-
ket due to foreclosures, but a
change is coming.
“Cobb has the beginnings
of stabilization of the mar-
ket,” she said. “Inventory is
down, so we just need to take
baby steps and it will all be
good.”
Glover worked for 20
years at his family-owned
Glover Machine Works steel
business in Marietta before
going into real estate. He said
it’s a natural fit for him
because he enjoys meeting
people and building relation-
ships through business.
Although he sees a lot of
foreclosure sales these days
and a sluggish market,
Glover said he wouldn’t
choose any other occupation.
“There is nothing more
enjoyable than helping first-
time homebuyers purchase
their first home,” Glover
said.
Glover, 54 and single, also
spends time giving back to
the Cobb community. He
serves on the boards of the
Cobb Landmarks and Histori-
cal Society, the Marietta
Welcome Center, the Mariet-
ta Museum of History, and
the Cobb Preservation Foun-
dation, Inc. He is also a
member of the Friends of the
Cobb Symphony. In his spare
time, he loves to cook –
especially seafood dishes
given to him by relatives liv-
ing in Charleston, S.C. He is
also writing his second book
on the history of the Glover
family, which he hopes to
publish this spring.
What’s his take on the
current housing market?
“I believe things are going
to start coming around this
spring,” Glover said. “It has
been a long, bleak winter, but
we’re already seeing some
improvement over the fourth
quarter of last year.”
For more information,
visit www.sothebys
realty.com.
REAL ESTATE2FF MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
From left: Mark and Julie
Andersen with their two
children Nate, 3, and Ella,
7, at their new home in
east Cobb (see 5FF).
MDJ staff photo / Todd Hull
COVER
REKINDLINGTHE FLAME
Staff/Anthony Stalcup
Above: Jim Glover shows one of the Marietta homes listed by Sotheby’s. Below: Glover shows the interior features
of the home. A veteran real estate agent, Glover is representing Sotheby’s in Marietta and the west Cobb area.
Top-selling agent Glover views switch
to Sotheby’s as new career challenge
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By Kim Isaza
MARIETTA — Cobb
County and its six cities
issued a grand total of 685
building permits for new
homes in all of 2010, a far
cry from the building boom
of the last decade. In 2005,
for example, more than
5,700 such permits were
issued in Cobb.
Unincorporated Cobb saw
the largest number of new-
home permits in 2010, with
466. The city of Smyrna
issued 77, and Marietta was
next, with 61 permits issued
throughout the year.
Acworth issued a total of
28 new-home permits in
2010, and the cities of Ken-
nesaw and Powder Springs
each issued 23. The city of
Austell issued only seven
such permits last year.
For 2011, builders and
other industry experts predict
only slight improvement.
Chris Poston, senior vice
president of Marietta-based
Traton Homes, estimated his
company will build about
175 new homes in Cobb in
2011.
In years past, he said, Tra-
ton build about 225 new
homes per year in Cobb. The
bigger difference between
then and now for Traton is
price-point.
“In the heyday in Cobb,
five years ago, we were sell-
ing a lot of homes in the mid-
$500,000s,” Poston said. “In
west Cobb, where we built
from the high $400,000s to
$1 million, we’re now build-
ing homes from the low
$200,000s to $400,000s.”
Rob Hosack, community
development director for
Cobb County, said 2011 will
remain similar to 2010 in
terms of home building in
Cobb.
“Slow and steady,”
Hosack said. One factor this
year will be the absence of
the federal Homebuyers Tax
Credit, which he said helped
boost the number of new sin-
gle-family homes in the first
four months
of 2010.
Both
Hosack and
Poston said
Cobb does
still have large
tracts of unde-
veloped land
available.
“We’ve issued permits for
new subdivisions in east
Cobb, and we’re seeing more
activity in the area of infill
tracts,” Hosack said.
Said Poston: “There is still
land out there, though it’s
getting smaller and rougher.
Cobb County was already
moving toward more in-fill
building. This downturn
made everybody realize they
want to be closer in. Location
is still important.”
Steve Palm, president of
the Marietta-based Smart-
Numbers, a housing data
firm, said, “Until the econo-
my improves, new construc-
tion won’t improve. We need
to strengthen jobs, and
strengthen the resale market,
and when those two things
are happening, then we can
start building again.”
“Until we start winnowing
down foreclosures, you can’t
build it cheap enough to go
against them,” he said.
The last part of 2010 did
see one glimmer of hope,
though, he said. In both
November and December, the
number of homes that went
under contract for sale was
up from the same time the
year before, he said, though
that includes both resale and
new homes.
But for builders, “it’s
nasty out there,” he said.
Any idea when it’s going
to get better? “You don’t
want to ask me that,” he said.
Business Editor Donna Espy con-tributed to this story.
REAL ESTATE 3FFMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
Chris Poston
By Marcus E. Howard
MARIETTA — It’s no secret
that in the current real estate mar-
ket, buyers have the upperhand over
sellers. However, one homeowner
bucked the trend in Cobb County
when he purchased and then resold
his house, all in about a year. And
he even made money on the sale.
In early 2010, Charles Dawson
first bought the new, three-story
house in the Oak Grove subdivi-
sion, off Gordon Combs Road near
the Marietta Country Club. But in
less than a year, his girlfriend’s job
transfer forced him to put the house
back on the market.
Given all he’d heard about the
abysmal housing market for sellers,
Dawson was not looking forward to
the task. Besides, he loved the house.
“My girlfriend is a professional
track athlete — runs for Adidas —
and was transferred to train in
Georgia and thought she was going
to be there for a few years,” said
Dawson, 36, an engineer. “After
one year, she ended up getting
transferred to another camp in
North Carolina.”
So Dawson called up Gail Hol-
man, the same Re/Max Around
Atlanta agent who initially helped
him purchase it. They listed the
house, got a contract, and closed the
sale on Jan. 28.
“To sell that quickly and for a
profit in this market is unbeliev-
able,” Holman said.
The primary keys to the sale
were the quality of the home and its
subdivision, and a good asking
price, she said. Dawson had bought
the home, which was a foreclosure,
for $495,000. He sold it for
$575,000.
For the new homeowners, Dr.
Michael and Christin Lott, the
availability of the house could not
have come at a better time.
The couple, along with their
three boys and one girl (ages 1 to
7), had been renting a house in
Smyrna for nearly two years while
looking for a new home to move
their growing family into.
“We were looking for a home
that would accommodate all of us,
but at the same time have a yard
for the kids to go out and play in,”
said Michael Lott, 34, an interven-
tional spine and pain management
physician.
The Lotts said their search last-
ed so long because many homes
with the size acreage they were
looking for are not located within
subdivisions.
However, the found their 1.2
acre home site in Oak Grove, where
they said they have plenty of room
to grow.
“My wife wanted to be in a sub-
division with other kids,” Michael
Lott said. “It’s not too large but is
accommodating, so it’s still
homey.”
The couple does plan to use their
contractor, Rodney Wright of
Wright Construction, to make some
improvements to the home, such as
finishing an attic space.
Nevertheless, Christin Lott, 34, a
homemaker, said she is thrilled with
her new Craftsman-style home,
which has five bedrooms, four bath-
rooms, a three-car garage and is
located in a cul-de-sac. She initially
didn’t think her family could afford
the home, considering its exclusive
location.
“This guy was selling this house
for a really great price,” she said.
“That’s how we ended up buying
there.”
With so many homes flooding
the market, selling a house is more
difficult than buying one, accord-
ing to experts. And because so
many of them are competitively
priced foreclosures, they can make
selling a home that more difficult,
Holman said.
“An appraisal is based on the
appraisals that had the comparables
in the neighborhood. If you have
two appraisals in the neighborhood
that appraised at $200,000 each and
one at $50,000, then they’re going
to include that $50,000 appraisal,
and it brings everybody’s figure
down,” Holman explained.
Holman said she expects this
year’s real estate market to be a lit-
tle better than in 2010. The spring
2011 market is looking more hope-
ful than it was in 2010, she said.
The Lotts gave much of the
credit for finding their new home to
Micki Zagoria, their longtime Real-
tor. Zagoria called the sale a “win-
win” for both parties.
“She was able to help us find the
home that we needed and that we
desired,” Michael Lott said.
Dawson, the seller, is now rent-
ing a townhouse in North Carolina
with his girlfriend. He also owns a
house in his hometown of Baton
Rouge, La.
He, too, credited his agent and
the asking price for the relatively
quick sale of the house.
“It almost makes me think that
maybe we didn’t ask enough for it,”
he said.
Shaky foundationFewer than 700 homes built in 2010
A win-win dealQuick sale of home near Marietta Country Club works out well for buyer and seller
Above: Dr.
Michael Lott and
his wife Christin,
left, talk with real-
tors Gail Holman,
left, and Micki
Zagoria in the
kitchen of their
new Marietta
home. Left: The
Lotts with their
children Micah, 7,
Gabriel, 6, McKen-
zie, 2, and Elijah,
1, outside their
new home.
Staff/Anthony Stalcup
3409 English Oaks Drive • KennesawApproved Short Sale. Fantastic house w/Masteron Main. Kitchen w/large bar area perfect for enter-taining & lots of light. Spacious Living Rm w/fire-place & vaulted ceiling. Beautiful ceramic tile floors.Fenced, HUGE private bkyd. Well loved home readyfor new owners. Convenient to I-75, KSU, TownCenter Mall, & many other shops & restaurants.
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13300 MorrisRoad #16Alpharetta
Excellent locationnear GA 400!Affordable hous-ing for the loca-tion. Large interiorunit in fantasticcomplex. Opengreat room withfireplace. Kitchenincludes breakfastbar and white cab-
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117 Twilight Overlook • CantonGreat Price in Great Sky! Totally upgraded andpristine 4 BR, 3.5 BA home. Professional landscap-ing w/ front & back lighting & in-ground irrigationsystem. Plantation shutters throughout. Tons ofstorage. Stainless steel appliances. Rec room inbasement. Priced to sell quickly.
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132 Hanover Avenue • DallasPRICE REDUCED! $250,000. Approved short sale.Exquisite Craftsman style ranch! Master on mainw/fireplace. Amazing mstr BA w/walk thru shower.Open flrpln. Gourmet kit, top of the line appliances,granite, & custom cabinets. Vaulted formal DR.Terrace lvl w/BA, kit, game rm, and 2 BRs. Coveredpatio overlooks new in-ground pool & firepit.
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1 Water Oak Way • Dallas3 BR, 2.5 BA. Beautiful 2 story home w/drive undergarage. Family room includes fireplace. SeparateDR. Master suite w/double vanities, garden tub, &sep shower. Private backyard w/deck. Great cul-de-sac location near shopping and restaurants. Don'tmiss this one because it won't last long!
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REAL ESTATE4FF MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
By Sally Litchfield
Family is the thread that runs throughout
the Marietta home of Luanne and Drew Bent-
ley. Rich family history reflected in artifacts
from times past keep their heritage alive.
“God has really blessed us through this
rich ancestry and many family traditions,”
said Luanne, who
embraces her hus-
band’s roots.
Luanne attended
six different
schools from ele-
mentary to high
school and is “ever
thankful to have
lived in Marietta
for 31 years.”
The Bentleys
met while attend-
ing high school at
Pace Academy in
Atlanta. The home
of Drew’s parents,
the late Freda and
Jack Bentley, is in
the same neighbor-
hood featured in
Atlanta Magazine in February 1956. Freda, an
avid collector, owned an antique store, The
Curio Shop, off the Marietta Square near what
is now the Marietta Pizza Company. Drew’s
uncle is well-known Marietta attorney and
collector Fred Bentley, Sr.
“The pieces we have inherited are very
meaningful to all the family because we know
where they came from,” Luanne said. “It’s
just important to me that those traditions are
carried on to future generations. To have an
interest in your family history carries on to
your children and future generations to
come.”
The importance of family is evidenced
throughout the home that the couple pur-
chased in 1987 from Lillian and Buddy Dard-
en. Many cher-
ished items, such
as a painting over
the den mantle by
Sarah Freeman
Clarke (Drew’s
maternal great-
great-aunt), are
part of the Bent-
ley’s daily life.
Luanne relies
on “Sarah Freeman
Clarke 1808-1896,
A Woman of the
Nineteenth Centu-
ry” by Joan Alice
Kopp and Scott
Grady Bowden.
She said Clarke
was an artist and
transcendentalist
movement leader who established the Franklin
Lending Library in 1882 in a small building
behind the Clarke home place at the corner of
Whitlock Avenue and Whitlock Drive (known
today as Oakhurst). Attorneys Ben and Mary
Anne Mathis now own the historic home.
Historicbeauty
Staff/Anthony Stalcup
Drew and Luanne Bentley take great pride in their Marietta home and the heritage its fur-
nishings represent. ‘God has really blessed us through this rich ancestry and many fam-
ily traditions,’ says Luanne, who met her husband when they attended Pace Academy.
Marietta home offers elegant glimpse into past
This silver tea set belonged to Drew Bentley’s
maternal grandparents, Katherine and Frederick
Walcott Clarke.
See Historic, 7FF
3375 Dallas Highway, Marietta, GA 30064 • 678-819-9260
404.932.9148www.gailsellsrealestate.com
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REAL ESTATE 5FFMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
By Marcus E. Howard
NORTHEAST COBB — Mark
and Julie Andersen believe they
found the perfect place for their
family to live when they recently
moved to Cobb County.
The couple, along with their two
children, are the residents of a new
home in the Wigley Estates subdivi-
sion in northeast Cobb. They moved
into the house, built by Traton
Homes, in September when Mark
accepted a job in marketing at the
UCB biopharmaceutical company
in Smyrna.
They have been married for 12
years and previously lived in
Shreveport, La.; near San Francis-
co; and in Rochester and Long
Island, N.Y.
However, Cobb now maintains
the top spot on their list of favorite
places they’ve lived, the couple
said.
“It’s definitely been the friend-
liest place we’ve ever lived,” said
Julie, 36, a homemaker. “We both
just really wanted to be in the
South. We like the weather and so
we said, ‘Lets do Atlanta.’ We love
Cobb County because of the
schools and now that we’ve moved
here we love it.”
Mark and Julie said they particu-
larly enjoy the area’s parks, shop-
ping destinations and symphony.
Julie said the couple has been
doing a lot of home decor shopping
for their house. When the weather is
warmer, they enjoy frequenting
parks with their two children,
daughter Ella, 7, and son Nate, 3.
When their relatives come to
town, the Andersens said they take
pleasure in acting as tour guides,
showing family members different
parts of metro Atlanta, such as the
Georgia Aquarium and museums.
“This, I think, has been our
favorite place we’ve lived,” Mark
Andersen, 41, said. “It made an
immediate impact on us as far as
the friendliness of the people,
groups we’ve already gotten
involved in, and just feeling like
we’re home.”
The Andersens attend the
Catholic Church of St. Ann on
Roswell Road in east Cobb. Julie is
active there in the mother’s guild,
and Nate attends the church’s
preschool.
Homes in Wigley Estates were
previously priced from the
$600,000s and now start from the
$440,000s. The neighborhood
schools are Davis Elementary,
Mabry Middle and Lassiter High.
The Andersens live in a two-
story home with five bedrooms and
four bathrooms, plus a media room,
with hardwood flooring, private
backyard and a three-car garage.
They said they enjoy its open
floor plan, which is great for their
daughter and son to roam around,
and the fact that the family is
allowed to use the swimming pool
at nearby Hampton Ridge.
The community has 12 home
lots, nine of which have been sold.
Homes are three-sided brick with
three-car garages.
“The neighborhood is just off
Sandy Plains Road, real close to
Woodstock and Fulton County, not
far from (Interstate 75),” said real
estate broker Steve Lee of Traton
Homes.
Because Wigley Estates is new
and the Andersens were among its
first residents, Julie said she has had
the honor of being on an informal
welcoming committee to greet new
homeowners.
“For Christmas, I brought over
Christmas cookies for some of the
new neighbors,” she said. “Every-
one has been really friendly.”
Binghamton, N.Y. natives, Mark
and Julie met as college students at
the State University of New York-
Albany in 1994. Four years later,
they were married.
Though the family has lived in
five houses in six years, Mark and
Julie said they see themselves liv-
ing in their new Cobb home for a
while.
“As long as the job is going
well, and it is, and everything else
is fine, we plan on staying here,”
Mark said.
‘Our favorite place’New Traton home, Cobb location a perfect fit for family that has moved often
Staff/Todd Hull
Mark and Julie Andersen, and their children Ella and Nate, have moved around during the 12 years
they’ve been married but they’ve now happily settled in Cobb. Julie says the school system was a
big reason for choosing Cobb.
By Katy Ruth Camp
MARIETTA — The Cobb
Board of Commissioners has unani-
mously approved the master plan
for future development of the
Mableton community.
Cobb Community Development
Agency Director Rob Hosack said
the county hired development
design firm Duany-Plater last sum-
mer to develop a master plan for the
Mableton community that would
include future schools, businesses,
homes and a town center area,
using the tiered-development for-
mat of a form-based code.
The plan was met with positive
feedback from residents, the coun-
ty’s planning commission and the
board. The firm then created a
form-based code that creates bind-
ing zoning restrictions on the area.
The form-based code will come
before the board as a code amend-
ment on Feb. 22, along with almost
70 other various amendments.
“You take the master plan, like
we have several other plans in the
county, and the form-based code
shows you how you get the plan
into action, and how you create
what’s outlined in the master plan,”
Hosack said.
Hosack presented the board with
the Planning Commission’s recom-
mendations for the form-based code
on Feb. 8.
Those include: creating a spe-
cific map of the exact boundaries
of the Mableton area to be consid-
ered under the code; for the board
to place two residents from the
Mableton area onto the form-based
code’s Review Committee; a clari-
fication of how current property
owners can apply for rezoning
under the county’s current zoning
ordinance if they choose not to
participate in the form-based code,
which staff say is optional to prop-
erty owners; and that the county
will not use eminent domain to ful-
fill the details of the code.
Commissioners approve development plan for Mableton
REAL ESTATE6FF MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
By Kathryn Malone
SMYRNA — Although it took nearly
five years of planning, an Illinois-based
redeveloper broke ground recently on the
redevelopment at the Crossings Shopping
Center on South Cobb Drive and Con-
cord Road.
The shopping center which was pur-
chased by Tri-Land Properties, Inc. in
2006, will be anchored by a 96,000 square
foot Kroger to be opened in November.
At the ground-
breaking ceremony,
Smyrna Mayor Max
Bacon said the city
hopes the shopping
center will have a
halo effect on the sur-
rounding area and
inspire the redevelop-
ment of stalled pro-
jects such as Belmont
Hills and Jonquil
Village.
“We haven’t had a
ground-breaking like
this all week,” Bacon
joked. “Maybe all
month. Maybe in the
last several years. But this is great. And
the Kroger they’re going to put here is
going to be unbelievable ... We think the
community has been waiting for this.”
Councilman Mike McNabb praised Tri-
Land Properties and Kroger for bringing
the project to fruition, saying that they
have established a tone of leadership
through “steadfast determination to remain
committed” to the project.
A crowd of about 50 people watched as
a bulldozer tore down an old bank build-
ing situated at the front of the shopping
center, close to South Cobb Drive.
The Kroger planned for the new Cross-
ings shopping center will replace the 40-
year-old Kroger that is now located across
South Cobb Drive. The new store will
include a gas station, bakery, floral shop
and wine shop and a drive-thru pharmacy.
Kroger bought 7.5 acres of land from
Tri-Land in December. Demolition began
on the old shopping center’s anchor store
in early January.
Tri-Land Executive Vice President Hugh
Robinson called the deal with Kroger “criti-
cal” in the redevelopment of the project,
saying it wouldn’t
have happened with-
out the company’s
commitment.
While the current
shopping center is
153,000 square feet,
the new center will
reach 230,000 square
feet and include eight
out-parcel buildings
that will be for sale or
lease.
Robinson said that
several small tenants,
such as a cell phone
store and nail salon
have already signed
leases for the new shopping center, which
will be completely renovated and include
new store fronts.
Tri-Land will renovate 60,000 square
feet of retail space. A 25,000-square-foot
plot will be available for development next
to Kroger.
A traffic light will be installed at the
north property line on South Cobb Drive.
When Tri-Land bought the property
from a company called Triple N in 2006,
Robinson said about 15 tenants remained.
The last of those tenants moved out in
October 2010, he said.
Staff/Laura Moon
Smyrna city councilman Mike McNabb, foreground, applauds as one of the old
banks in The Crossings at Four Corners shopping center is torn down in prepara-
tion for the new stores that will be built in Smyrna.
Kroger to anchornew Smyrna mall
Staff/Caroline Brannen
New strip mall in Smyrna
The Crossings at Four
Corners will be
anchored by a 96,000-
sq.-ft. Kroger store.
Dobbins
Air
Reserve
Base
Windy Hill Rd
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By Marcus E. Howard
KENNESAW — Arbor Green, Kenne-
saw’s newest active adult community for
those age 55 and older, is priced from the low
$200,000s and is just minutes from the Mari-
etta County Club. The community offers the
ultimate in maintenance-free living. The
neighborhood of 44 homes is expected to be
completed by mid-2012.
The luxury, three-bedroom, two bath ranch
villas include full brick craftsmanship and
welcoming front porches and outdoor spaces.
Inside, dramatic raised 9- and 11-foot ceilings
with vaulted areas create an open space that’s
designed for entertaining.
A gourmet kitchen with tile backsplash,
maple cabinets with crown molding and stain-
less steel under-mount sink with pullout
faucet, are a culinary lover’s delight.
Homeowners are sure to enjoy the spa-
cious green spaces throughout the community,
as well as a 3-acre central park with walking
trails. A spacious covered gathering pavilion
will be completed this spring. All homes
include an oversized, double garage for large
vehicles or extra storage.
Residents receive professional landscaping,
weekly garbage service and cable television as
part of their monthly homeowner’s fee.
Arbor Green offers easy access to some of
the area’s top shopping and recreational desti-
nations, including Town Center at Cobb mall
and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield
Park. It’s also conveniently located to WellStar
Kennestone Hospital in Marietta.
To visit Arbor Green: Take Interstate 75
north to exit 269 (Barrett Parkway). Turn left
onto Barrett Parkway. Then make a right onto
Stilesboro Road. Cross Kennesaw-Due West
Road. Arbor Green will be on the left.
Upscale active adult community to open near Marietta Country Club
From left, at the groundbreaking ceremonies are: The Kroger Co. Real Estate
Manager Paul Zhajanka, Sen. Doug Stoner, Smyrna Councilman Mike McNabb,
Tri-Land Properties, Inc. Executive Vice President Hugh Robinson, Smyrna Mayor
Max Bacon, Councilman Pete Wood, Councilwoman Melleny C. Pritchett and
Mayor Pro-Tem Wade Lnenicka.
By Jon Gillooly
MARIETTA — Meeting Park, the 12-acre
property near Marietta Square that was hailed
as the cornerstone of the city’s downtown
development efforts until the economy
crashed, has a new owner.
Marietta-based Walton Communities
closed on the property on Dec. 22 for an
undisclosed sum from Regions Bank, Walton
partner David Knight said.
Knight said he has no immediate plans
for the site located at Waddell and Water-
man streets.
“We’re just going to take our time. It’s a
very important piece of real estate to the com-
munity of Marietta,” he said.
Bob Silverman, president of Atlanta-based
Winter Properties, purchased the property for
$8.4 million from the Marietta Housing
Authority in April 2006. The site formerly
housed the 132-unit Clay Homes complex,
built in the 1940s for workers at the Bell
Bomber plant.
Silverman had planned Meeting Park to be
a community of 300 homes, townhouses and
condos, seven restaurants, 10,000 square feet
of trendy shops and office buildings for pro-
fessional firms.
But all that were ever built were 15 town
homes, which stand empty.
Winter lost the development last year
when the bank foreclosed on the property.
The bank ran foreclosure notices in the Jour-
nal for a listed $23.5 million debt.
While Knight wouldn’t reveal what his
firm paid for the property, he said it wasn’t
$23.5 million.
Although Walton advertises itself as a
company that develops, owns and manages
apartment communities throughout the metro-
Atlanta area, Knight said he had no plans to
build apartment buildings there.
“I don’t think that would be received very
well. Marietta has a lot of apartments right
now,” he said.
Construction of apartments would require
the City Council’s approval.
“If they deviate from [Winter’s] plan one
iota, they will have to come back to the coun-
cil for a change,” Mayor Steve Tumlin said.
Knight said he wants to involve the coun-
cil, community and stakeholders in determin-
ing what to do with the site, “and if they feel
we’ve got a good plan, go back and seek a
rezoning from the city of Marietta.”
Walton Communities buysMeeting Park near Square
Staff/Laura Moon
One of the model townhomes at Meeting Park near the Marietta Square.
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REAL ESTATE 7FFMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
“You can still see the
building outside of their
house where she started the
library,” Luanne said.
Clarke came to Marietta
from Boston. She is the step-
granddaughter of Dr. James
Freeman Clarke who founded
the first Unitarian Church in
America, King’s Chapel in
Boston. A September 1893
Marietta Daily Journal story
noted that Clarke raised
$2,200 from Bostonian
friends Ralph Waldo Emer-
son, Nathanial Hawthorne,
Oliver Wendell Holmes and
Henry David Thoreau for the
library. They also contributed
original works to Clarke’s
library.
Other pieces inherited
from Drew’s maternal grand-
parents, Katherine and
Fredrick Walcott Clarke, are
displayed in the home. Mr.
Clarke founded Marietta
Hosiery Company in 1946,
now known as Marietta
Drapery & Window Cover-
ings Company. Its adminis-
trative offices are still located
on the property originally
purchased for $799.80 at
what is not the South Loop
across from CVS/Pharmacy
off the Square.
“For us, we just kept (the
property), just held on to it,
enjoy having it. The real estate
is more than just a piece of
property,” Drew said.
Drew and his brother,
Douglas Clarke “Bullet”
Bentley, still own and oper-
ate Marietta Drapery & Win-
dow Coverings Company,
which supplies window and
bed coverings for multi-fami-
ly housing, hospitality, com-
mercial, education and
healthcare markets.
“Marietta is where we are
from. We just love Marietta,”
he said. “It’s a great place to
grow up and to raise your
kids, too.”
“God has really blessed us
through this rich ancestry and
many family traditions.
Although Drew’s parents are
no longer with us, certainly
the pieces we have inherited
are very meaningful,”
Luanne said. “It is important
for us to be a part of the
community.”
HistoricContinued from Page 4FF
By Sally Litchfield
Nothing conveys a true sense
of style more than delivering the
unexpected.
The Marietta home of Marci
and Dr. Gary Jacobson, located at
the base of Kennesaw Mountain,
is surrounded by traditional hous-
es, as expected in Marietta. And
the home that the Jacobsons pur-
chased in 2008 is admittedly “tra-
ditional” on the outside.
But upon entering the red-
brick home, the surprising urban
decor demands a second look.
“My taste is influenced by my
family back in Chicago,” Marci
said. The couple grew up less than
1.5 miles away from each other in
the suburbs of Chicago but did not
meet until introduced through
mutual friends while attending dif-
ferent colleges in the South. They
moved to Marietta when Vascular
Surgical Associates hired Gary
after his medical training.
Influenced by vast examples
of modern architecture evidenced
in Chicago, the Jacobsons wanted
a modern decor.
“It can be incongruent with
the traditional styles of a lot of
houses in Marietta,” Marci said.
“It was hard for me to visualize
the modern look I liked.”
After seeing the work of
Atlanta interior designer Bob
Brown in some printed material,
the Jacobsons engaged Brown to
decorate several rooms on the
main level of their home.
“I liked the look (Brown)
achieved. It kind of spoke to
me,” the stay-at-home mother of
two children said.
Working with Brown, the
Jacobsons achieved a look that is
minimalistic, uncluttered and
clean. The simple color palette of
cool greens and blues is anything
but boring. Although the Jacob-
sons like white, they used it spar-
ingly because of their lifestyle
with children and pets.
“The colors are very calming
to me. It makes me very happy,
the color palette,” Marci said. “I
do like that my children can
come into these rooms and enjoy
them. It’s very livable.”
The use of bold graphic pat-
terns like that of the dining room
rug (designed by Brown especially
for the home) and mimicked in the
back of the dining room chairs
creates a visual design that is as
unpredicted as it is adventurous.
“Little details like that (rug and
chairs), I really love,” Marci
explained.
Contemporary art throughout
the rooms instantly bring the
space into the here and now. The
natural light flooding through
large windows gives vibrancy to
the open feel of the space.
“I love the light,” she said.
And, “I’m looking forward to
decorating the rest of the house.”
From staff reports
SMYRNA — The Smyrna City
Council approved the $9.5 million
recently purchase of the Hickory Lake
Apartments, a complex on Old Con-
cord Road near Windy Hill. The com-
plex consists of 92 buildings on 48
acres. The buildings are to be demol-
ished this spring.
Mayor Max Bacon said the city has
high hopes that the land will help spark
redevelopment in north Smyrna, espe-
cially with the uptick in traffic that is
expected when the Windy Hill connec-
tor is done in May.
“Hopefully it will be an economic
engine that will help us redevelop that
end of town for a better use,” Bacon
said. “We’re very optimistic about it
and don’t know that we’ll have the
opportunity to acquire an apartment
complex with that many units. Really,
the 48 acres is what we’re attracted to.”
And though City Administrator Eric
Taylor would not call the 41-year-old
apartment complex blighted, he said it
is reaching the end of its life cycle. He
also admitted that the area is a hotspot
for crime.
“It’s the highest area for 911
response in the city,” Taylor said.
The city has received 11 bids from
contractors for demolition of the apart-
ment complex. The bids included both
the cost and timeline for the project,
ranging from $1.28 million for a six-
month project to $3.3 million for a 270
day, or nine-month project. The lowest
bidder looks to be Atlanta Demolition
with a cost of $1.28 million and a time-
line of 180 days, or six months, but city
officials have yet to make a recommen-
dation on the contract.
Mayor targets
N. Smyrna for
redevelopment
Marietta couple mixes old and new with home decor
Staff/Anthony Stalcup
Dr. Gary Jacobson and his wife, Marci, admit their home is ‘traditional’ on the outside, but inside it
takes a dramatically different turn with a surprising urban decor
Traditional twist
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GROWTH & REVITALIZATION8FF MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
PROGRESS 2011PROGRESS 2011HEALTH & FITNESSHEALTH & FITNESS
MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL � FEBRUARY 27, 2011SECTION GG / 7 OF 8
MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL � FEBRUARY 27, 2011SECTION GG / 7 OF 8
CLINIC HELPS THE UNINSURED 7GGPARK HAS FRIENDS IN EAST COBB 5GG
INSIDE:
NUTRITIONALGUIDANCE
2GG
NUTRITIONALGUIDANCE
2GG
By Kathryn Malone
SMYRNA — Several
years after losing 100
pounds, Karen Sullivan says
she still needs the support
and advice of her dietitian to
help her stay on the wagon.
Prior to her gastric bypass
surgery in 2006, Sullivan, 44,
was required to consult with
a registered dietitian to help
her learn how to eat healthier
and manage her post-surgery
body and diet. But since then,
Sullivan, who works at
Emory-Adventist Hospital in
Smyrna, still sees Emory-
Adventist dietary director and
clinical dietitian Jenny Fox
for help making healthy food
choices.
“When I started working
here, the cafeteria was dan-
gerous for me,” Sullivan said.
“So I made an appointment
with Jenny, and I came and
sat down and talked with her
just to get some ideas and to
make sure I was staying on
track. She’s pretty much been
helping me out about three
and a half years now.”
Fox explained that there is
a difference between a dietit-
ian and a nutritionist. Dieti-
tians are required to have at
least a bachelor’s degree in
nutrition and dietetics, be
board certified and pursue
continuing education to keep
up that certification. A nutri-
tionist, she said, usually has
just a certification in nutri-
tion.
Sullivan’s goal is to lose
more weight, and lower her
blood pressure and blood
sugar, but Fox said she sees
patients with many different
goals and needs.
Fox, who manages the
hospital’s cafeteria and plans
the meals served to patients
in the hospital, said she sees
both hospital patients and
outpatients who are referred
to her by doctors. She coun-
sels gastric-bypass patients
like Sullivan, diabetics, peo-
ple who suffer from ailments
like kidney disease, high
blood pressure, and people
who come to the hospital
because of malnutrition.
She said she recommends
that anyone who suffers from
a disease that is affected by
diet consult a dietitian. Fox
said she would also encour-
age people who are obese,
overweight, have high blood
pressure or high cholesterol
or have problems with weight
loss to meet with a dietitian.
While she typically works
with cardiac patients in the
WellStar Hospital system,
Pam McFarland says you
don’t have to have a disease
or a dietary issue to see a
dietitian.
“Anyone can see a regis-
tered dietitian, and I would
encourage anyone and every-
one to do that,” McFarland
said. “During a person’s life
— if you’re dealing with a
child, or a teen or a busy
mom or an elderly person —
everyone eats. It’s important
during those stages to know
what to eat, and those things
change.”
McFarland has worked
with patients from all walks
of life, including athletes,
busy moms who want to
learn how to teach their chil-
dren to eat right, people with
eating disorders, and those
with celiac disease.
McFarland advises
patients who are seeing a
dietitian for the first time to
be ready to talk about their
eating habits from the
moment they walk through
the office doors. She recom-
mends that people bring a log
of what they’ve eaten the
past few days, or nutrition
labels from products they
usually buy. She also tells
people to bring a list of sup-
plements and medications
that they take.
With a typical patient, Fox
said, she usually starts by
asking about what that person
is doing now with meal plan-
ning and how and what they
eat on a normal day. Once
she has established their eat-
ing habits and goals, Fox
said, she starts with the
basics of nutrition education.
“Every person is differ-
ent,” Fox said. “Sometimes
we kind of start with the
basics of food 101 and talk
about what foods go in what
food groups. Some people
need more focus on portion
sizes, others need help under-
standing what
the confus-
ing nutrition
label means
and what to
look for on
that.”
Fox said
she tends to
focus more
on portion
size than
caloric
intake with
patients.
She finds that most of her
patients feel more comfort-
able controlling their por-
tions, rather than counting
calories.
Once a patient has a good
grasp on nutrition, she said,
she works with them to cre-
ate a meal plan that best fits
their goals and lifestyle.
Sullivan, like most gastric
bypass patients, has a rela-
tively strict diet. She tries to
eat 80 grams of protein per
day and often consults Fox
about healthy food options at
work.
“I come to Jenny a lot,
probably too much,” Sullivan
said. “A lot of things in the
cafeteria … you go through
the line and
everything
looks great, but
I know as a
bypass patient,
I can’t touch
everything. So
a lot of times
when I go in
I’ll see some-
thing new that
they have and
I’ll try it. I
always like to
try to come to
Jenny, or I’ll shoot her an e-
mail and say, ‘I tried this
they had in the cafeteria, I
really enjoyed it, but is it just
a garbage food or is it a food
that’s really healthy and
nutritious for me?’”
McFarland offers consul-
tation with cardiac patients
and also has created several
programs to help teach her
patients how to shop and
cook.
She does grocery store
tours once a month and
invites patients and their
family members to come
along. They spend about two
hours in the store, and she
teaches them how to chose
more nutritious products,
how to identify certain veg-
etables in the produce sec-
tion, how to pick out lean
meats.
McFarland also conducts
cooking classes for her
patients, which helps them
learn how to cook low-fat
and low-sodium meals.
“A lot of people don’t
know how to prep low-sodi-
um, low-fat meals,” McFar-
land said. “They think that if
you leave the salt out it’s not
going to taste good … It
helps them see that it doesn’t
have to taste bad to be
healthy.”
She also offers a compre-
hensive class for diabetics
and lately, McFarland said,
she’s been e-mailing recipes
to her patients.
Although most of McFar-
land and Fox’s patients are
referred to them by a doctor,
they both encourage anyone
interested in seeing a dietit-
ian to visit the American
Dietetic Association’s web-
site at www.eatright.org to
find a local dietitian.
McFarland said the
Health Place at WellStar
offers consultations with a
dietitian for about $60 per
visit. Fox said a session at
Emory-Adventist can cost up
to $120, but that the hospital
offers discounts. Both dieti-
tians said that in some cases
insurance does cover the cost
dietitian visits, especially for
diabetics and people with
kidney disease.
“That’s a small amount of
money to pay to get some
good, valid information for
the rest of your life,” McFar-
land said.
HEALTH & FITNESS2GG MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
Dietitians offer guidance, support
Emory-Adventist Hospital
nutritionist Jenny Fox
works with clients setting
weight loss and exercise
goals. She said she rec-
ommends that anyone who
suffers from a disease that
is affected by diet consult a
dietitian.
MDJ staff photo / Anthony Stalcup
COVER
Staff/Anthony Stalcup
Fox talks with Smyrna resident Karen Sullivan about nutritional values.
Locals looking to
lose weight stay
on track with help
of professionals
“Some people needmore focus on portionsizes, others need helpunderstanding what theconfusing nutrition labelmeans and what to lookfor on that.”
— Jenny Fox,
Emory-Adventist dietary
director and clinical dietitian
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HEALTH & FITNESS 3GGMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
By Kathryn Malone
MARIETTA — By June,
WellStar Kennestone Hospi-
tal hopes to be the only trau-
ma care center serving Bar-
tow, Cherokee, Cobb, Dou-
glas and Paulding counties.
In December 2010, hospi-
tal executives announced that
they had applied for a certifi-
cate of need, which would
allow Kennestone Hospital to
become a Level II trauma
center.
The not-for-profit system
has hired a trauma director
and the hospital is already
equipped with three emer-
gency trauma rooms, but
WellStar will need to hire a
team of physicians who will
focus on trauma care. The
state designation will likely
mean hundreds more patients
each year for Kennestone.
“As we look at it, there is
going to be some investment
required as we formalize our
role with trauma,” said Can-
dice Saunders, Kennestone’s
executive vice president and
administrator, though she and
other officials declined to say
how much it is investing in
the effort. “We think it’s the
right thing to do. We’re the
community’s hospital. We’re
committed to meeting the
needs of our community. The
data is very clear that as you
have a designed trauma pro-
gram you improve the quality
and the outcomes of care.”
In medical terminology,
“trauma” refers to any seri-
ous injury from an accident
or act of violence, such as car
crashes, a fall from a ladder,
a stabbing or gunshot wound.
Patients who suffer trauma
usually need to be taken to a
trauma center and cared for
as soon as possible following
an accident or violence in
order to increase their
chances for survival. This
timeline is often referred to
as the “golden hour.”
“If you look at national
data, the mortality rate for
patients seen in either a des-
ignated or verified trauma
center is 25 percent lower,
because you have a commit-
ment around the resources
and the model in which you
care for those patients,” said
Patricia Mayne, executive
vice president for emergency
and surgical services at Well-
Star Kennestone.
There are now 16 desig-
nated trauma centers in the
state. Only one Level I trau-
ma center, Grady Memorial
Hospital, serves the metro-
Atlanta area.
But metro Atlanta does
have three Level II trauma
centers: Atlanta Medical
Center, Gwinnett Medical
Center and North Fulton
Medical Center in Roswell.
Level I is the highest level
of designation for trauma
centers, and provides the
greatest level of trauma care,
prevention and rehabilitation,
while Level IV is the lowest.
A Level II center generally
provides the same trauma and
specialty care to patients as a
Level I center, but lacks the
research facilities required to
give it the top distinction.
A spokesman for the
Georgia Hospital Association
explained that adding Kenne-
stone to the list of trauma
care centers will truly be a
lifesaver, especially for trau-
ma victims whose accidents
occur in the outlying areas of
Cobb, Bartow and Paulding
counties.
“This service is a huge
addition to the citizens of the
Northwest Georgia area,”
said Kevin Bloye, vice-presi-
dent of public relations for
GHA. “When you look at the
northwest metro-Atlanta area,
which includes Cobb and
Paulding and Douglas coun-
ties, I would say, absolutely,
it’s necessary. There are hun-
dreds of thousands of resi-
dents in that area that cur-
rently don’t
have nearby
access to trau-
ma care. So
that’s great
news.”
Mayne, who
is leading Well-
Star’s applica-
tion process,
said the hospi-
tal began look-
ing at what it
would take to
receive the
trauma care
designation in
fall 2009. At
that time, it created a steering
committee made up of seven
hospital administrators and
18 doctors, representing a
variety of specialties, to
design a plan and medical
model of care for trauma
patients.
Since Kennestone already
serves 1,300 trauma patients
each month in its emergency
room, and has three trauma
exam rooms and 63 exam
rooms in its emergency
department, it has nearly all
of the equipment it would
need. Saunders said the hos-
pital does not plan to expand
the number of its trauma
rooms.
Mayne and her staff esti-
mated that the trauma care
center designation would
increase
the num-
ber of
patients
Kenne-
stone sees
by about
250 to 450
per year,
which
equates to
one to two
patients
per day.
The
trauma
designa-
tion means
that the hospital will be eval-
uated and monitored by an
outside group, the state office
of EMS and trauma.
Much of the work it takes
to become a designated trau-
ma center will require the
hospital to submit data
regarding its care of trauma
patients to the Georgia
Department of Community
Health. Kennestone officials
began the data-collection
process, which will last about
three months, in January.
From there, an official from
the state will come out to do
an on-site visit. The hope,
Mayne said, is to be certified
by early summer of 2011.
WellStar has hired Dr.
Barry Renz, a traumatologist
who most recently worked at
Gwinnett Medical Center, as
its medical director for the
trauma program, and he will
begin working at Kennestone
in the spring. WellStar plans
to hire a team of physicians
who will work hand-in-hand
with emergency room doc-
tors and nurses. Although it
will not hire any more nurs-
es, the hospital is working to
train and certify more nurses
in trauma care.
When a trauma patient
comes into the emergency
room, the emergency room
doctors and trauma physi-
cians will work to stabilize
the patient and assess their
needs. From there, the trau-
ma physician will contact the
specialty doctors needed to
fully care for the patient,
whether that be a orthopedic
surgeon or a neurosurgeon.
“It’s very much an inter-
disciplinary type of care
model and having that physi-
cian right there, bringing all
those resources there is
where you get the benefit,”
Saunders said.
The WellStar board of
trustees support Kenne-
stone’s application to
become a designated trauma
care center.
“There exists a real com-
munity need to improve the
quality and access to trauma
care for the residents of
Northwest Georgia,” said
Randall Bentley, chairman of
the WellStar board of
trustees. “WellStar is our
community healthcare orga-
nization for this area, and
obtaining this important des-
ignation is consistent with
the mission of WellStar.”
In the November 2010
General Election, voters
rejected a statewide amend-
ment aimed to help upgrade
and expand the state’s trauma
network, which required resi-
dents to pay an extra $10 in
annual car registration fees.
Keith Bowermaster, the
spokesman for WellStar, said
that Kennestone’s designa-
tion application process was
not started in anticipation of
the amendment passing.
Although the tag tax could
have created a permanent
funding source for Kenne-
stone, the defeat of the
amendment has no affect on
WellStar moving forward
with seeking the designation,
he said.
Special/file
WellStar health system is aiming to begin serving trauma patients in rooms like the one above.
Trauma care: Anecessary stepKennestone hospital applies for certificate
of serve trauma needs of five counties
“We think it’s the right
thing to do. We’re the com-munity’s hospital. We’recommitted to meeting theneeds of our community.The data is very clear thatas you have a designedtrauma program youimprove the quality and theoutcomes of care.”
— Candice Saunders,
Kennestone’s executive vice
president, administrator
GROWTH & REVITALIZATION4GG MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
By Katy Ruth Camp
NORTHEAST COBB –
In northeast Cobb, at Sandy
Plains and Wesley Chapel
roads, sits 26.5 acres of beauti-
ful land, complete with rolling
hills, a lake, hundreds of trees
and plenty of open space.
When the county purchased
the land from the Mabry fami-
ly for $4.3 million in May
2008 using money from the
2006 parks bond, many nearby
residents and business owners
became excited over the
prospect of finally having a
passive park nearby.
But almost three years later,
the land is still not open to the
public and remains undevel-
oped because of lack of fund-
ing. So many in the area have
decided to put their own time
and energy into creating the
passive park.
Neighbor Mark Jernigan
said he and others knew the
property would likely not be
developed for years, but
instead of waiting for some-
thing happen, Jernigan took
note of the public/private part-
nership that helped to develop
East Cobb Park and formed
the nonprofit group Friends of
Mabry Park with another resi-
dent, Lee Berg.
“This would just give a
nice, passive park to a commu-
nity that desperately needs it,”
Jernigan said. “There are side-
walks around here, but other
than that, there really is no
good place around here to go
for a walk. It’s amazing to step
from the busy activity on
Sandy Plains and into this
serene, natural, beautiful piece
of property. It’s really a whole
different world.”
Chairman Tim Lee, who
was the district’s commission-
er at the time the county
acquired the property, also
attested to its beauty and the
need for the park in the area.
“It’s huge,
primarily
because there
isn’t a passive
park of this
magnitude
anywhere near
that area of the
county. It’s
right down the street from sev-
eral schools, businesses and
neighborhoods, and I would
estimate its use to be on par
with East Cobb Park, which is
extremely utilized,” Lee said.
Lee said once it was evi-
dent that funding to develop
the property would not be
available for some time, he
met with residents in the area
and talked about the success of
East Cobb Park’s private
development. Since then, he
said he has helped the Mabry
Park group with everything
from finding a suitable compa-
ny to develop the master plan
to putting them in touch with
people who could advise them
on the process of development.
“Once the master plan is
approved and adopted, the
group will move forward to
raise money to build it out.
We’ll also work with them in
that regard,” Lee said.
Jernigan said in October
that the group hoped to raise
$20,000 to pay for a master
plan, which would provide
more detailed options for park
amenities. Some of those
amenities could include walk-
ing trails, a playground, a dog
park and gardens, said JoAnn
Birrell, a member of the
friends group and now the
northeast Cobb commissioner.
In early February, the group
had raised $18,000 for the
campaign, enough to get a
master plan up and running,
Berg said.
County spokesman Robert
Quigley said the county had
hired the firm URS through a
competitive bid process to cre-
ate the master plan for $7,500.
Quigley said county park staff
have already had the first
meeting with the firm, and that
the plan will take about three
months to complete. Dates for
public meetings on the master
plan were to be set by the end
of February.
“Things are getting ready
to start happening,” Berg
said. “You can’t go to indi-
viduals, corporations, or
HEALTH & FITNESS 5GGMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
MDJ/file
Lee Berg, vice president of the Friends of Mabry Park, speaks about possible trails and picnic area around the pond
at Mabry Park in northeast Cobb.
Future parkhas friends in east Cobb
Tim Lee
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1800 Lower Roswell Rd NE
Marietta 30068
(770) 321-6900
Cosmos Fitness Center
Cosmosfitness.com
2745 Sandy Plains Rd NE
Marietta 30066
(770) 579-3488
Curves for Women
www.curves.com
n 3451 Cobb Pkwy NW
Acworth, 30101
(770) 974-3922
n 5330 Brookstone Dr. NW
Acworth, 30101
(770) 422-9744
n 3600 Cherokee St. NW
Kennesaw, 30144
(770) 426-0033
n 1635 Old 41 Hwy NW
Kennesaw, 30152
(770) 426-0033
n 2209 Roswell Rd.
Marietta, 30062
(770) 977-7187
n 1690 Powder Springs Rd
Marietta, 30064
(770) 426-0165
n 2650 Dallas Hwy SW
Marietta, 30064
(770) 426-4677
n 2810 Paces Ferry Rd SE
Atlanta, 30339
(770) 434-9034
Fitness 19
www.fitness19.com
1812 Powder Springs Rd SW
Marietta, 30064
(678) 354-8919
Fitness Together
www.ftsmyrna.com
1675 Cumberland Pkwy SE
Smyrna, 30080
(770) 436-1381
Gold’s Gym
www.goldsgym.com
n 5505 Bells Ferry Rd
Acworth, 30102
(770) 592-4950
n 2840 East-West Conn.
Austell, 30106
(770) 432-8688
n 2911 Busbee Dr
Kennesaw, 30144
(770) 425-4653
n 4930 Davidson Rd
Marietta, 30068
(770) 971-0557
n 3362 Acworth Summit Blvd.
Kennesaw, 30101
(678) 973-0635
Jazzercise
www.jazzercise.com
n 555 Nickajack Rd.
Mableton, 30126
(770) 434-5303
n 1075 Whitlock Ave.
Marietta, 30064
(770) 919-7007
n 3210 Hopeland Industrial
Dr.
Powder Springs, 30127
(404) 915-8911
n Vinings UMC
3101 Paces Mill Rd.
Atlanta, 30339
(678) 293-5858
n 3195 Acworth Due West Rd.
Kennesaw, 30152
(770) 639-3087
Just Fitness 4 U
www.justfitness4u.com
3101 Roswell Rd NE
Marietta, 30062
(770) 565-6330
LA Fitness Sports Clubs
www.lafitness.com
n 1025 East-West Conn.
Austell, 30106
(770) 432-4262
n 4400 Roswell Rd NE
Marietta, 30062
(770) 973-3370
n 2995 Cobb Pkwy
Atlanta, 30339
(770) 956-9093
n 4200 Wade Green Rd.
Kennesaw, 30144
(678) 202-5179
n 1185 Barrett Pkwy
Kennesaw, 30144
(678) 202-5503
Midtown Athletic-Windy Hill
www.midtown.com
135 Interstate North Pkwy NW
Atlanta, 30339
(770) 953-1100
One to One Health Centers
onetoonehealthcenters.com
700 Sandy Plains Rd NE
Marietta, 30066
(770) 795-0091
Snap Fitness
www.snapfitness.com
n 1450 Veterans Mem Hwy.
Mableton, 30126
(404) 472-2113
n 3621 Vinings Slope SE
Atlanta, 30339
(770) 693-9013
n 1290 W. Spring St. SE
Smyrna, 30080
(770) 431-9311
Stack’s Gym
www.stacksgym.com
2375 Hwy. 92
Acworth, 30102
(770) 974-5986
WellStar Health Place
www.wellstarhealthplace.org
330 Kennestone Hospital Blvd.
Marietta, 30060
(770) 793-7300
Women’s Premier Fitness
Womenspremierfitness.com
4961 Lower Roswell Rd NE
Marietta, 30068
(770) 565-5450
Workout Anytime
www.workoutanytime.com
n 3335 Cobb Pkwy NW
Acworth, 30101
(770) 974-8787
n 800 Whitlock Ave NW
Marietta, 30064
(678) 355-5530
n 1600 Kennesaw Due West
Rd NW
Kennesaw, 30152
(770) 422-2279
n 4401 Shallowford Rd
Roswell, 30075
(770) 363-8578
n 3100 Highlands Pkwy.
Smyrna, 30082
(404) 792-3555
X 3 Sports
X3sports.com
2343 Windy Hill Rd SE
Marietta, 30067
(678) 903-0100
Your Body Fitness
www.ybfitness.com
2639 Hickory Grove Rd.
Acworth, 30101
(770) 966-1500
Kennesaw Mountain park map
HEALTH & FITNESS6GG MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
Fitness Centers In Cobb
Savannah Court of MariettaAssisted Living and Memory Care
Active and Engaged!
886 Johnson Ferry Rd • Marietta
770-977-4420
SavannahCourtMarietta.com
Assisted Living Facility License #033-03-017-1
Proud Host of the Aloha Day Club
H. WAYNE TEMPLETON, M.D.
PLEASE CALL
FOR AN
APPOINTMENT
Dr. Templeton would like to announce
the opening of his new Family Medicine
practice located at:
3875 Austell Road, Suite 203
Austell, Georgia
Dr. Templeton has previously practiced for
20 years in the Wellstar Cobb Hospital area.
Most insurance accepted.
Patients from ages 15 and over.
Powder Springs:
A Great Place to Work...
A Better Place to Live
P.O. Box 46 • Powder Springs, GA 30127 • 770-943-1666
www.cityofpowdersprings.org
Mayor:
Patricia C. Vaughn
Council Members:
Thomas D. Bevirt
Albert L. Thurman
Rosalyn G. Neal
Cheryl Sarvis
Nancy J. Hudson
HEALTH & FITNESS 7GGMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
By Marcus E. Howard
MARIETTA — Cobb
County’s sick are getting
well, thanks to the Good
Samaritan Health Center of
Cobb in Marietta.
Since opening in 2006,
Good Samaritan has provided
a range of health care services
for patients without health
insurance or the means to
afford care. It is a nonprofit,
Christian-centered clinic serv-
ing the county’s working poor
with the stated mission “to
spread the love of Christ by
providing quality health care
to those in need.”
“We do this by providing
medical, dental, physician
dispensary (medications),
counseling, and social work
services to uninsured patients
who have nowhere else to
go,” said Dr. Larry Hornsby,
medical director.
“Unlike the traditional pri-
mary-care model, this is an
all-in-one practice that is
open Monday through Friday
and provides after-hours cov-
erage as well. We augment
these services with volunteer
physicians and dentists in
both primary care and spe-
cialties along with volunteer
nurses, pharmacists, dental
hygienists, counselors, inter-
preters and administrative
assistants, among many oth-
ers.”
In 2010, Good Samaritan
provided 18,221 patients vis-
its, which is a little more than
1,500 visits per month, the
clinic reported.
At any give time, nearly
half of Good Samaritan’s
staff is made up of volunteers
— doctors, nurses, dentists,
dental assistants, interpreters,
and prayer room volunteers,
said Kacie McDonnell, opera-
tions director.
However, Good Samaritan
does maintain a devoted staff
that includes one full-time
primary care physician and
one physician assistant. It also
has one general dentist and
one hygienist. Additionally,
there are 12 medical
providers and 14 dentists who
volunteer on site.
The Good Samaritan Clin-
ic was modeled after the
Good Samaritan Health Cen-
ter in downtown Atlanta that
has been operating since
1999.
The clinic, at 1605 Robert
Drive off Austell Road in
Marietta, is housed in a
7,500-square-foot facility that
includes a medical wing with
seven exam rooms, a lab,
phlebotomy room, a confer-
ence/education room, a phar-
maceutical dispensary and
seven offices. A dental wing
has six dental operatories,
three offices, an X-ray room,
sterilization room and work
areas, as well as two consulta-
tion rooms.
Good Samaritan aims to
help those in need, which is
defined as being people
whose household income is
less than 200 percent of the
federal poverty level and who
don’t have health insurance,
Hornsby said.
“While we do see patients
who are homeless or in drug-
rehab programs, most of our
patients are the working
poor,” he said. “They are peo-
ple that we see every day who
are employed and are working
hard to make it, but don’t
have jobs that provide health
benefits and cannot afford pri-
vate health insurance.”
In the past few years, a
large number of our patients
have lost their jobs and are
struggling to keep their resi-
dences and food on the table,
Hornsby said.
“I have a patient who was
still working, but had been
forced to live in her car. This
made taking medications reg-
ularly and eating a healthy
diet incredibly difficult,” he
said.
“We were able to provide
her with affordable medica-
tions, help her figure out how
to eat a healthy diet, and keep
her healthy so that she could
make it through an incredibly
stressful time. She is now liv-
ing in an apartment and con-
tinues to work.”
Good Samaritan is over-
seen by a 21-member board
that consists of physicians,
dentists, accountants, social
workers, pharmacists, busi-
nessmen, and U.S. Rep. Phil
Gingrey of Marietta.
The clinic relies on private
donations to keep its doors
open. In 2010, it was award-
ed a $102,500 grant by the
Community Foundation for
Greater Atlanta’s Common
Good Funds.
“Almost 80 percent of our
operating costs come from
generous donations from
individuals, businesses,
churches, civic groups and
foundations,” said Ashley
Garrison, development direc-
tor. “The remaining 20 per-
cent comes from the patients
that pay for services on a
sliding scale based on their
ability to pay.”
Staff/file
Jim Flippin, 72, is greeted warmly by Northwest Family
YMCA co-manager Elizabeth Janda, left, lifeguard Linda
Crabtree and co-manager Melissa Betts after the three
ladies rescued him from a heart attack in the pool at the
center in Kennesaw.
Staff/file
Dr. Larry Hornsby, medical director of the Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb, helps
patients at the clinic, which provides care to the uninsured and poor.
Good Samaritan care
By Kathryn Malone
KENNESAW — Just a
week before Thanksgiving, Jim
Flippin received a gift to be
very thankful for from three
women who work at the North-
west Family YMCA — his
life.
At about 12:30 p.m. on
Nov. 15, Flippin, 72, was
swimming laps at the North-
west Family YMCA, off Mars
Hill Road near the regional
county library in northwest
Cobb, as he does five days a
week, when he had a heart
attack while in the water.
“I was swimming for about
10 minutes, and usually my
shortness of breath would cor-
rect itself,” Flippin said. “But it
didn’t.”
Linda Crabtree, the life-
guard on duty at the time, said
she saw Flippin do a flip turn
as usual, but then saw him stop
in the water. So she sprung into
action.
“I look and I’m like, ‘What
is he doing?’ It looked like he
was getting something that he
had dropped,” Crabtree said. “I
ran to him and I’m like, ‘He’s
in trouble.’ And my first thing
was, he’s having a heart attack,
because he’s a good swimmer.”
Crabtree radioed her co-
workers, Melissa Betts and
Elizabeth Janda, for help, and
the two women ran to the pool
to assist in reviving Flippin.
Janda said when she got to
the pool area, Crabtree had
Flippin next to the pool wall
and was holding his head out
of the water. Together, Janda
and Crabtree pulled the 6-foot-
4-inch Flippin out of the pool,
while Betts jumped into the
water to help push him out.
Janda and Betts brought a
defibrillator with them to the
pool area. Betts administered
CPR and Crabtree shocked him
three times before the firefight-
ers arrived just five minutes
after Crabtree had began help-
ing Flippin out of the water.
The rescue workers had to
shock Flippin two more times
before they transferred him to
the ambulance, Crabtree said.
The three YMCA workers
said that Flippin’s incident was
the first time they have ever
had to use the defibrillator.
Flippin was eventually
taken to WellStar Kennestone
Hospital, where he awoke
hours later in a daze.
His daughter, Lucy John-
ston, who was at the hospital
minutes after her father arrived,
said he was asking about the
incident and directing her how
to unlock his locker at the
YMCA.
“All the ER doctors were
going, ‘who did this? It’s
amazing.’ They were shocked,”
Johnston said of her father’s
revival.
Clinic offers care
to the uninsured
Lifeguards’ quick actionssave life of man in pool
GROWTH & REVITALIZATION8GG MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
PROGRESS 2011PROGRESS 2011SPORTS & RECREATIONSPORTS & RECREATION
MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL � FEBRUARY 27, 2011SECTION HH / 8 OF 8
MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL � FEBRUARY 27, 2011SECTION HH / 8 OF 8
Atlanta Beat -- Year 2 6HHFinding the right golf pro 4HH
INSIDE:
DISC GOLFDISC GOLFTHE GAME IS CATCHING ON AT OREGON PARK
2HH
Staff / Anthony Stalcup
Above: Playing from the rough has a whole new meaning at the Oregon Park disc golf course. Noah George of Marietta, left, Abraham Hirsh of Kennesaw and Ryan Bas-
sett of Taylorsville, know from experience. Below, right: George, Bassett, Brian Pound, Patrick Copeland and Mitch Lane play one of the more challenging holes on the
Oregon Park course that is a long, narrow par 3.
By William Bretherton
There is no clubhouse, no dress pants
and no shoes and no greens.
But disc golf, or Frisbee golf as it is
more commonly known to some, is
quickly becoming one of the more popu-
lar recreational sports in Cobb County.
Like its traditional brethren, disc golf
follows many of the same procedures and
rules that golf does. Players attempt go
from start to end in as few strokes as pos-
sible. In the case of disc golf, the game
tends to take on a more casual — almost
irreverent — tone.
“(Disc golf) definitely has more of
that outdoorsy, hiker type of casual
nature,” Cobb Disc Golf president Bob
Pressley said. “It hasn’t been around for
120 to 130 years like regular golf when
they dressed up in a suit almost with
shoes.
“But you will see a very casual outing,
not that any of the pro tournament match
anything that you will on the PGA tour,
but you will see pros with sponsor gear
on, and a nice golf shirt. But they will
probably be in some shorts and hiking
boots. It’s much more of a casual game
because, depending on where you play,
it’s a little more physical in the amount of
walking you have to do.”
Disc golf courses usually utilize
changes in elevation over the long dis-
tances, as well as, obstacles (most com-
monly trees) in the direct path between
the tee and the basket, which sits two feet
off the ground. As a result, the game does
give its participants exercise. Also, they
participate in the game much differently
than those of “ball golf” do.
“Oregon Park is a very beginner-
friendly course,” Pressley said. “It’s not
super long. There are courses twice as
long, and with elevation changes that are
more severe. Two rounds (of 18 holes)
could put a good strain on you, so you
had better be comfortable to do it. Outer
gear may look like you are out for a run
versus the tendency to have a traditional
look with slacks, a golf shirt and a nice
polished pair of shoes on.”
Since early 1995, Oregon Park has
been one of the largest and oldest disc
golf courses in Georgia. The origins of
disc golf trace back to as far back as the
1970s though.
“There is quite the following out there
of guys that have played for 15 to 20
years,” Pressley said. “There is plenty to
be read about the history of disc golf and
the exact date or time (of its origination)
is disputed. It’s about the mid-to-late-
1960s, depending on how technical on
what was considered disc golf.
“From metro Atlanta, I’ve talked to
some old timers in the 1950s and 1960s.
I’ve never seen pictures of it, but had a
few part-timers that don’t play as much
now that (said) at some point Piedmont
Park had disc golf set up.”
As a result of its longevity, Oregon
Park has become a destination for disc
golfers from all around Georgia. As a
result, the course became more popular
over time. Originally set up as a nine-hole
course, overcrowding became a problem.
“In the old days with nine holes, it
would get crowded enough that groups
would overlap shooting at the same holes,”
Acworth resident Brian Pound said.
As a result, the course expanded to 18
holes in 2009, and more baskets were
purchased last year to make tweaks to
Oregon Park’s course, which may be
expanded once more in the future to 27 or
36 holes.
So, why are there so many people
interested in disc golf?
“It’s free, and we all get to come out
and do something for fun,” said Ryan
Bassett of Taylorsville.
Over the river and throughthe woods... to the third hole
OREGON PARK IS THE
DISC GOLF DESTINATION
FOR COBB COUNTY
Bassett makes his putt to conclude
a hole during a round of disc golf at
Oregon Park in west Cobb.
MDJ staff photo / Anthony Stalcup
COVER
Getting started: Disc golf basics
By William Bretherton
With the expansion in pop-
ularity of disc golf, Oregon
Park is seeing more partici-
pants on one of the most pop-
ular disc golf courses in the
region.
As a result, more players
need to familiarize themselves
with the rules of the game.
Although disc golf is similar
to “ball golf” — as it is some-
times referred to by disc
golfers — in the way that it’s
played, there are many differ-
ences.
At Oregon Park, the first
hole isn’t as clearly marked as
it would be on a typical golf
course. There is no clubhouse,
and no scorecard given out at
the course. Though most play-
ers start at the hole closest to
the main entrance for Oregon
Park, some players start their
rounds from other holes.
“Because of what it’s been
and where it is now, you could
call something a particular
hole, but because it’s in the
middle stages of design,” said
Bob Pressley, president of the
Cobb Disc Golf Club. “Is
there a route to the course?
Additional holes and how
they will be routed or re-rout-
ed isn’t to be determined until
See Disc, 3HH
SPORTS & RECREATION2HHMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
the final design is created or
reviewed. You’ve caught it at
the point where it’s somewhat
haphazard.”
Oregon Park’s course is
undergoing renovations in that
it has 18 baskets to complete a
full course, but its design
changes when baskets are
moved to different locations on
the property. While flag posi-
tions move on greens of regu-
lar golf courses, moving a bas-
ket changes where the “green”
for a disc golf course is.
From the first tee, golfers
must aim for a basket that is two
feet off the ground. At Oregon
Park, baskets are marked by a
metal pole coming straight out
of the ground with chain links
hanging from the top leading
into a basket. After the first
shot, discs are spotted using
another disc or a mini disc.
Between the tee and the
basket, there are usually more
obstacles than in a typical golf
course, such as trees and brush
that would block the direct
flight of a disc to the basket.
“Typically, what we don’t
do is create holes that are open
space with little to no obsta-
cles in the way,” Pressley
said. “With open space, you
can have those holes, but they
are not very challenging. You
may have part of an open area
that may have a treeline or
something in the way.”
Like golf, the goal is to
reach the basket from the tee in
as few strokes as possible with
par for each hole typically set at
three stokes. Longer distance
holes require higher par scores.
Along with the course
itself, disc golfers carry around
different discs depending on
shot choice. The discs in play
are weighted differently, and
carry different tips. For
instance, drivers generally
have thinner edges and have
wedge-shaped edges to cut
through the air at high speeds,
allowing them to fly farther.
Mid-range discs aren’t as light
as drivers, but have rims that
are more blunt in order to give
players better control. Putters
are heavier discs that have the
least blunt edges and are meant
to be thrown from short range.
Discs can be purchased at
most sporting goods stores
and online from prices rang-
ing from $8 to $50 per disc,
though most starter sets (dri-
ver, mid-range, putter) can be
found between $20-30.
On top of the discs them-
selves, there are many differ-
ent types of shots. The most
typical shot is the one most
commonly used to throw a
Frisbee or disc. Discs can also
roll on the ground by putting
backspin on the disc and flick-
ing it forward. The “toma-
hawk” is a shot that requires a
player to throw the disc over a
player’s head on its rim. This
shot is typically used in tight
spaces to get through a narrow
area, such as thick brush or
from behind trees.
The “thumber” like the
tomahawk is thrown over-
hand, but with the thumb sit-
ting inside the rim of the disc
with the index finger on the
outside edge. After being
thrown, the “thumber” turns
over mid-flight onto the bot-
tom side of the disc.
Much like regular golf,
discs can be played with a
hook or a draw to the shot, as
is required with holes that
play a dogleg. Also, the angle
and velocity with which a disc
is thrown greatly impacts its
distance and accuracy much
like regular golf.
DiscContinued from Page 2HH
By Adam Carrington
Most recreational fishermen refer to
Lake Allatoona as the Dead Sea because
they believe they’re no fish in it.
The fisherman who know the lake
don’t seem to think that way. Fishing
guide Fred Duncan calls Lake Allatoona
the Sleeper Lake.
He would know because he’s fished it
for 14 years.
“Back in the drought (three years
ago), I stopped at a gas station and some-
one couldn’t believe I was going fishing
because they thought there was no water
in the lake,” Duncan said.
“Lake Allatoona is a sleeper lake.
Absolutely loaded with fish, but you have
to spend time on the water to get into the
rhythm and pattern of the fish throughout
the seasons.”
The best spots to fish on Lake
Allatoona varies on the season.
With the lake being crowded with
fishermen during the spring, sum-
mer and fall, Duncan said the parks
that are usually successful are Galts
Ferry, Kellog Creek, Tanyard
Creek, Iron Hill, Allatoona Creek,
Clear Creek, Stamp Creek and Little
River.
In breaking it down in more detail, he
suggests Little River, Galts Ferry and
Kellog Creek are the ideals places to fish
in the spring and the fall. Fish are transi-
tioning from spawning areas in the
spring and are in the same place in the
fall because they’re seeking optimum
water conditions.
In the winter, fish are usually at Alla-
toona Creek and Iron Hill because of the
higher levels of dissolved oxygen. Dun-
can said there are bait fish that congre-
gate in those areas.
Red Top Mountain, Clear Creek, Iron
Hill and Allatoona Creek are the hotbeds
during the summer.
The temperature and dissolved
oxygen in those areas attract most
fish.
As of late, fishing during the winter at
Lake Allatoona has been treacherous.
The water temperatures also have dipped
below 40 degrees making the fish unwill-
ing to eat.
“The last few winters have been
extreme and the water has gotten into low
40s and high 30s,” Duncan said. “When
it gets too cold, metabolism slows to a
crawl and they eat very little and very
infrequently.”
Duncan stresses that the water
temperature governs the life cycle of
fish.
“When there is good water quality,
temperature and adequate dissolved oxy-
gen, you will find your fish congregating
in (certain) areas and areas change
throughout the season,” Duncan said.
“On Allatoona, there is a rhythm and pat-
tern throughout the season, and the fish
are responding to those elements that
they need.”
Understanding the rhythm patterns
of the fish in Lake Allatoona requires
hours of fishing and learning the lake.
Duncan said unsuccessful fishermen
fish at the wrong spots at the right
time.
He also said timing is important to
catching fish on Allatoona and noted
that the key to being successful is
becoming in sync with the fishing
patterns.
“You have to know the areas of the
lake that the fish prefer depending on
the season,” Duncan said. “When you
have the right water temperature with
good dissolved oxygen, you have it
going on.”
Fishermen don’t need a boat to be
moderately successful on Lake
Allatoona.
There are fishing jetties at Red Top
Mountain and Gulfs Ferry where there
are mostly catfish, bass and pan fish. But
the ones in pursuit of the bigger fish
would need a boat and head to the deep
open water.
In regards of bait, light spinning tack-
les are recommended. Live minnoes and
small jigs also work for crappie and live
worms and night crawlers could be used
for brim.
For bass or spotted mount, Duncan
advises plastic lures, spinnerbait, top-
water stick baits and crankbaits. For
striped bass or hybrid striped bass, he
suggests live shads, live shiners and
live trout.
“Patterns repeat themselves every
year,” Duncan said. “It’s like you rewind
and start the tape over again that you
been listening to for 20 years. Guys keep
a log — but I do it so much, it’s all in my
head.”
Special to the MDJ
Lake Allatoona fishing guide Fred Duncan has been in the business of providing people a quality experience on
the lake for more than 20 years. Duncan considers Lake Allatoona to be a ‘sleeper lake’ where people are just now
finding out how good the fishing there can be. Read more about Duncan at www.allatoonastripers.com.
Lake Allatoona, the place to fish
Cobb provides plenty
for outdoor lovers
By Greg Oshust
Outdoor enthusiasts have
plenty of options to choose
from in Cobb County, with a
number of parks that give
plenty of opportunities for
such popular activities as run-
ning, bicycling, swimming as
well as many others.
The Silver Comet Trail
has long been a popular desti-
nation for outdoor-minded
people in the county.
The trail begins at Marvell
Road in Smyrna and winds its
way 61 miles through south
Cobb, Paulding and Polk
counties before ending at the
Georgia/Alabama state line.
It plays host every day to
a number of walkers, runners,
bicyclists, rollerbladers, horse
riders and dog walkers and is
accessible to wheelchairs.
The trail features four
trailheads — at Marvell
Road, Fontaine Road, the
East-West Connector and
Cooper Lake Road. Each
trailhead has paved parking
lots, restrooms, water foun-
tains and other amenities.
It is also host to two of the
most popular road races in the
county — the Silver Comet
10K, which is held in March,
and the Silver Comet Half
Marathon, which takes place
in October.
The Chattahoochee River
National Recreation Area
also attracts a large number of
people, with several park
units located in Cobb County.
It is a popular destination for
runners, walkers and bicy-
clists as well as canoeists and
kayakers.
Each of the park units are
open to the public every day
from dawn to dusk. The daily
parking fee is $3, while an
annual pass is $25.
Cochran Shoals is the
largest of the Chattahoochee
park units in the county.
Located just north of I-285
off of Interstate North Park-
way, Cochran Shoals features
a three-mile fitness trail for
runners, walkers and bicy-
clists as well as plenty of
space for bird watchers.
Akers Mill is located off
of Cobb Parkway in Vinings
and offers several miles of
trails as well as Sandy Point,
a beach-like area located next
to the river.
Paces Mill is also located
off of Cobb Parkway and
includes around 3 miles of
trails.
The Kennesaw Mountain
National Battlefield Park is
another of the county’s major
outdoor recreation areas.
The park is open every day
from dawn to dusk and fea-
tures 18 miles of trails for
runners, walkers, hikers and
bicyclists as well as bird
watchers.
Parking at Kennesaw
Mountain Park is free. The
park’s road is closed during
weekends and holiday, but a
shuttle bus is available to the
public during weekends that
provides transportation to the
top of the mountain, with $2
charged for adults, $1 for
children ages 6 and 11 and
children younger than 6 are
free of charge.
The Cobb County Parks
and Recreation Department
features a number of parks
with walking trails, including
Heritage Park in Mableton,
Lost Mountain Park and Wild
Horse Creek Park in Powder
Springs, Oregon Park in
Marietta, Sewell Park and
East Cobb Park in east Cobb
and Tramore Park in Austell.
Swimming is another
activity that the parks and
recreation department pro-
vides, with Powder Springs
Park and Sewell Park featur-
ing outdoor swimming pools.
Runners have plenty
of opportunities in ’11
By Greg Oshust
Running enthusiasts won’t
have any trouble finding a
race to participate in Cobb
County.
One of the primary
hotbeds for running in the
metro Atlanta area, Cobb has
a plethora of races for runners
to chose from, with approxi-
mately 20 races scheduled to
be held in the county in 2011.
Among the many races in
the county, ranging from the
5K (3.1 miles) distance to the
half-marathon (13.1 miles)
include a number of the most
popular running events in the
Atlanta area.
The most popular race, as
it has been for over a decade,
is the U.S. 10K Classic,
which completed its 17th edi-
tion in 2010.
The U.S. 10K Classic con-
tinued to grow in size last
year with around 16,000 peo-
ple participating in the
event’s signature 10K (6.2
miles) race as well as the 10K
wheelchair race, the 10K
incline skate, the 100K men’s
professional cycling race and
the 10K women’s cycling
race.
It was the biggest group of
participants in the event’s 17-
year history, surpassing the
2009 mark of approximately
13,000 runners.
2011 Cobb County road race calendar
March 12 — Silver Comet 10K,MabletonMarch 12 — Hoya and the Hare5K, KennesawApril 2 — Knock Out Cancer 5K,MariettaApril 23 — Jonquil Jog 5K, SmyrnaMay 22 — Freight Train 5 miler,KennesawJune 11 — Miles-4-Major 5K, KennesawJuly 30 — Run for Life 5K/10K,KennesawAug. — Music on the Mountain 5K,KennesawSept. 5 — U.S. 10K Classic, MariettaSept. 12 — East Cobb 5K, MariettaSept. 18 — Iron Horse 15K and 5KExpress, KennesawOct. 30 — Silver Comet HalfMarathon, MabletonNov. 25 — MUST Ministries Gob-ble Jog 5K/10K, Marietta
See Runners, 7HH
SPORTS & RECREATION 3HHMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
By Carlton D. White
Early in 2010, the Cobb
County Board of Commission-
ers approved funding for more
than $600,000 on course
improvements for Cobble-
stone Golf Course in Acworth,
one of Cobb County’s premier
public courses located on
Nance Road along the shores
of Lake Acworth.
Completed last summer,
the renovations and changes
to the course have been
well-received.
Managed by Affiniti Golf
Partners, the course, which
originally opened in 1993, had
Champion Bermuda planted
on the greens and the bunkers
and traps were completely ren-
ovated with new drainage, lin-
ers and sand.
Champion Bermuda, which
is a hybrid grass, has proven to
have a good putting surface
and is more tolerant to heat
and traffic than the bent grass
that was used.
Other cosmetic changes
were done to the course,
which fully reopened in early
September.
“The changes we’ve made
to the course have been wide-
ly well-received,” General
Manager Terry Harnage said.
“We opened on Labor Day
weekend. The care for the
course is different during the
weekend, but putting has been
good and the people that have
come here have liked what
they’ve seen.
“We had the greens and
bunkers redone. We did some
irrigation and tree work, and
design-wise, we reshaped the
greens to their original size
from 18 to 36 inches.”
When Cobblestone opened,
it won several awards, includ-
ing a four star rating from
Golf Digest and earned a spot
on the “Top 100 Courses You
Can Play” from Golf Maga-
zine. Recently, the course
was named one of
Golfweek’s “2010 Best
Municipal Courses.”
The changes have already
contributed to increased
exposure and use for the
facility.
“The number of tourna-
ment bookings has already
increased, so that’s a strong
indicator that the changes we
made to the course are paying
off,” Harnage said. “We’re
getting more groups making
reservations for the spring
and summer than we had last
year. We expect that to con-
tinue to increase once more
people see and play the
course as the weather warms
up.”
With the spring and sum-
mer seasons on the horizon,
Cobblestone expects its
loyal patrons to continue
using the course, and hope-
fully, invite guests to play it
as well.
As more people see the
changes that have been
made, traffic should steadily
increase based on word-of-
mouth.
“Right now, it’s hard to
compare the amount of traf-
fic,” Harnage said. “Folks
definitely come out when
we have good weather. But,
because we opened in the
fall, we missed the tradi-
tional start of the full golf
season.
“We had a short season
after the renovations were
completed, so a lot of people
haven’t seen the course. Once
spring begins and the weather
warms up, we expect to see a
lot more people using (the
course).”
Greens fees for Cobble-
stone are currently $51.50
for play Monday through
Friday and $60 on week-
ends and holidays. Twilight
rate plans and times vary by
season.
Cobblestone
Golf Course
redesigned
and flourishing
The right pro can help your gameBy Carlton D. White
Golf is no different than
any other sport.
In order to play it correctly,
you must have the proper
equipment and the proper
knowledge.
The best way to know if
you have the proper equip-
ment is to ask someone who
knows. But, going to a golf
store or a golf shop for balls,
clubs and a bag is only half
the story.
“If you really want to learn
how to play golf, then it’s
important to learn from a golf
instructor,” said Dan Mullins,
the director of instruction at
City Club Marietta. “Instruc-
tors can teach you the nuances
of the game. They can show
and teach you things that
won’t be able to figure out on
your own or by watching tele-
vision.”
Mullins would know. The
2001 Georgia PGA Profes-
sional of the Year, Mullins
has over 30 years of experi-
ence working with players of
all skill levels, and he has
competed in and won several
local and regional tourna-
ments as an amateur and a
professional. Joining him at
City Club Marietta is head
golf professional Al Morri-
son, who has been teaching
for over 15 years.
“Teaching professionals
can give you better ideas on
chipping, on putting, getting
out of sand and bunkers, prop-
er stance, proper grip, basics
of the swing, all of that stuff,”
he said. “We can relay these
ideas to people and give them
perspectives that they may not
have thought of. Just like any
teacher, we help you think a
little bit outside the box and
build from there.”
However, not every teach-
ing pro is the same. The key to
finding the right golf profes-
sional depends on what you’re
looking for from your pro.
Golf knowledge and experi-
ence along with teaching abil-
ity all come into play.
“Your level of teaching
changes depending on the
skill set of your student,”
Mullins said. “It’s like teach-
ing elementary, high school
and college students. There
are beginners, average players
and advanced players.
Depending on who you’re
teaching and what they’re
looking to get out of the les-
son, you have to taylor the
instruction.”
According to Mullins, the
key to finding the right teach-
ing professional is to ask the
right, and plenty, of questions.
“It’s important to ask ques-
tions about a professional
before you decided to work
with them,” Mullins said.
“Find out about the creden-
tials of the person giving
instruction. How long have
they been teaching? What
level of player do they teach,
whether it’s all levels or
beginners or advanced play-
ers, etc.
“If you ask questions and
get an idea of the profession-
al’s background, then you’re
already ahead of the game.
Knowing the difference
between a teaching profes-
sional and a golf instructor is
also important. Word of
mouth or asking people who
have already worked with that
pro, is also a good idea.”
With so many advance-
ments in technology, often-
times a golf instructor might
use digital equipment as part
of his or her teaching strategy.
Mullins’ background also
includes knowledge of the use
of video and computerized
equipment in analyzing a golf
swing.
“The right clubs are impor-
tant,” he said. “We provide
demo clubs when analyzing a
golf swing using our video
and television equipment. So,
the problem with your golf
game could be the clubs. By
comparing and analyzing
swings, we could probably
find the right clubs for you to
use.”
As with most things, there
is a fee to learning to play golf
well, and prices will vary with
each professional. Golf
instructors and teaching pro-
fessionals usually charge per
hour for lessons, but they also
have series of 1-hour lessons
that may cost less than each
separate individual hour.
Ultimately, though, it
doesn’t matter how many
hours of instruction a person
gets if he or she isn’t commit-
ted to learning and practicing
on their own.
“It’s up to the golfer to
take the practice time between
lessons and work on their golf
game,” Mullins said. “There
needs to be a balance between
practice and playing time. It’s
the only way for them to
apply what they’re learning.
But, most important, get prop-
er instruction first. This way,
you can break bad habits and
become a better golfer.”
Staff file photos
PGA pro Dan Mullins, director of instruction at City Club
in Marietta, works with Marietta resident Bradley Wilson
on his golf swing. The right teaching pro can conserva-
tively help take 10-to-15 strokes off a high-handicap-
per’s game and can help turn the good amateur players
into great ones.
SPORTS & RECREATION4HH MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
Golf Courses
Atlanta Country Club (private)500 Atlanta Country ClubDriveMarietta, GA 30067(770) 953-2100www.atlantacountryclub.orgHead Pro: Scott SchroederGreens Fees: N/A
Bentwater Golf Club (Private)100 Golf Links DriveAcworth, GA 30101(770) 529-9554www.canongategolf.comHead Pro: Justin Tackettand Jim SimsGreens Fees: N/A
Brookstone Golf andCountry Club (private)5705 Brookstone DriveAcworth, GA 30101(770) 425-8500www.brookstonecc.comHead Pro: Mark AveryGreens Fees: N/A
City Club of Marietta (public)510 Powder Springs StreetMarietta, GA 30064(770) 528-4653www.cityclubmarietta.comHead Pro: Dan MullinsGreens Fees: $48 (Mon-day through Friday), $58(weekends/holidays)Twilight rate plans andtimes vary by season.Please check for websitefor details
Cobblestone Golf Course (public)4200 Nance RoadAcworth, GA 30101(770) 917-5152www.cobblestonegolf.comHead Pro: Chris WrightGreens Fees: $51.50(Monday through Friday),$60 (weekends/holidays)Twilight rate plans andtimes vary by season.Please check website fordetails
Dogwood Golf Club (semi-private)4207 Flint Hill RoadAustell, GA 30106(770) 941-2202www.dogwoodgolf.orgHead Pro: Ryan MedfordGreens Fees: $45 (Mon-day through Thursday), pri-vate on weekendsTwilight rate plans andtimes vary by season.Please check for websitefor details
Fox Creek Golf Club &Driving Range (public)1501 Windy Hill RoadSmyrna, GA 30080(770) 435-1000www.legacyfoxcreek.comGeneral Manager: TonyDeshanGreens Fees: $29 (week-days), $35 (weekends)Twilight rate plans andtimes vary by season.Please check for websitefor details
Governor’s Towne Club (private)4200 Governors TowneDriveAcworth, GA 30101(770) 966-5353www.governorstowneclub.comHead Pro: Will HutterGreens Fees: N/A
Indian Hills Country Club (private)4001 Clubland Drive
Marietta, GA 30068(770) 971-2605www.indianhillscc.comDirector of Golf: LanceCantrellGreens Fees: N/A
Legacy Golf Links & Driving Range (public)1825 Windy Hill RoadSmyrna, GA 30080(770) 434-6331www.legacyfoxcreek.com
General Manager: TonyDeshanGreens Fees: $29 (week-days), $35 (weekends)Twilight rate plans andtimes vary by season.Please check for websitefor details
Marietta Country Club (private)1400 Marietta CountryClub DriveKennesaw, GA 30152
(770) 426-1808www.mariettacountryclub.orgHead Pro: Stephen KepplerGreens Fees: N/A
Pinetree Country Club (private)3400 McCollum Parkway NWKennesaw, GA 30144(770) 422-5902www.pinetreecc.org
Interim Head Pro: Way-
land Abernathy
Greens Fees: N/A
Driving Ranges
Marietta Golf Center
1701 Gresham Road, NE
Marietta, GA
(770) 977-1997
Bucket of balls - 35 for $5,
55 for $7, 80 for $9, 110 for
$11, 135 for $13
Legacy Golf Links 1825 Windy Hill Road, SESmyrna, GA 30080(770) 434-6331Call for prices
Tee 1 Up 3185 Sandy Plains RoadMarietta, GA 30066(770) 578-1234Bucket of balls – small (40-50) for $5, medium (80-90)for $9, large (115) for $12
COBB COUNTY GOLF COURSE DIRECTORYSPORTS & RECREATION 5HH
MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
By Carlton D. White
SMYRNA – Atlanta metropolitan resi-
dents interested in seeing intercollegiate
football in Cobb County may not have
long to wait following the debut season of
club football at Chattahoochee Technical
College.
The Golden Eagles have rapidly expanded
their athletic programs over the past six
years to include track and field, cross coun-
try and basketball with the teams competing
in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Associa-
tion as well as the National Junior College
Athletic Association.
“We have a tremendous commitment from
our president,” said John Furman, Coordina-
tor of Sports Information. “Dr. Sanford Chan-
dler has a vision for the school and cares a lot
about sports. He understands how athletics
can help the college grow and reach more and
more people.”
Last fall, Chattahoochee Tech athletics
expanded once more with the addition of
club football.
Currently competing in the National Club
Football Association, the Golden Eagles fin-
ished the season with a 4-4 record, with wins
over Shorter, Clemson and the University of
South Alabama, under first-year coach Tim
Freeman.
“We won our first game, 18-7, at Shorter,”
Freeman said. “It was exciting. It gave the guys
an understanding that we can compete against
four-year schools.”
Not only is Chattahoochee Tech competing
as a club sport, it is looking to go beyond that
and play at the junior college level.
“When I came in and spoke with the pres-
ident and the athletic director (David Archer),
the idea was that we would play at the club
level for two years and then move up to the
national junior college level,” Freeman said.
“We’re leaving no stone unturned to get
backing to try to make that move as soon as
possible.”
With the economic climate slowly recover-
ing, it may take Chattahoochee Tech a little
longer than it wanted to advance football past
the club stage.
“We’re using student activity and athlet-
ic fees to fund the program,” Archer said.
“Fundraising is different in this economy.
We’re looking at opportunities in the busi-
ness sector and in the community. We’re
starting slowly. Last year, we had a $30,000
to $40,000 budget. Next season, we’re not
sure what it will be yet, but we’re excited
for the new season.”
Despite the economy, the enthusiasm of the
administration continues to push the program
forward.
“We recognized that there aren’t many
two-year junior college football programs
in Georgia, and felt like we could help
fill that void in the state,” Archer said. “The
only other program is Georgia Military
College.
“There are a lot of kids not quite ready for
the four-year college level, but still want to
continue playing football. This is an opportu-
nity to provide them with that platform to con-
tinue playing and get an education, while
preparing them for their future.
“We have a huge service area, and this gives
kids an opportunity to stay closer to home.”
The club football team plays its games at
Osborne High School and attendance has been
good.
“I was very pleased with our attendance this
year,” Freeman said. “At Shorter, we had as
many fans as they did, and every game we’ve
had at home, there’s been a good crowd and
good support for the players.
“There are five assistant coaches, and last
year’s roster had about 53 players on it. We’re
hoping to bring in about 70 to fall camp and
keep around 65.”
Chattahoochee Tech wants to raise
awareness of its club team and the school’s
aspirations for competing at the national
junior college level. The Golden Eagles
were even involved on national signing day,
as they received “letters of commitment”
from a eight athletes, including a few
local players such as Woodstock offensive
lineman Kyle Thornton, South Cobb
running back Demarcus Adkins, and Spray-
berry athletes DeAlvarez Attiwio and Josh
Moody.
“Our goal was to sign a good firm class
that has a chance to leave us and play at
Division I or I-AA,” Freeman said.
“They’ll help us compete, and the commit-
ment letters they signed are documents out-
lining the way they should behave as a part
of our program and that they are playing as
non-scholarship athletes.
“We’re very excited about this group, and
our future. Kids are hearing about us, and like
what we’re trying to do here.”
Chattahoochee Tech ready
to make noise in athletics
Atlanta Beat preparefor their second yearBy William Bretherton
Heading into the second year of play for
Women’s Professional Soccer’s Atlanta Beat,
there have been many lessons learned and
many new faces that have gone through the
franchise.
However, the Beat is excited to take the
field this season starting April 9 when they
face the Boston Breakers at KSU Soccer Sta-
dium.
“We are so ready to get going,” Beat
owner and general manager Fitz Johnson said
earlier this month. “It’s a long offseason, and
players are going to be arriving at the end of
the month. We are signing a couple more
players, and then we will be ready to go into
camp. We learned a lot in year one and are
looking to apply that in year two.”
Though the Beat have not unveiled any
plans for any new accommodations or pro-
motions to start the season, Johnson and the
Beat have been interacting with fans to find
ways to add more to the viewing experience.
“There’s not anything new as in
revamped,” he said. “We did a real nice job at
the concessions this year. We are trying to see
what works. We added a couple of new items.
“We changed the configuration for tickets
for the entire stadium to make things easier. If
you are buying a general admission section
ticket, then you can sit anywhere (in that sec-
tion). On the west side, it’s a little more close-
ly monitored.”
On top of the flex packs that many profes-
sional teams offer standard with season ticket
packages, the Beat are selling “flexi passes”
or vouchers that will allow fans to purchase
general admission tickets that can be used for
any game during the season.
“It’s very similar to a flex pack,” Johnson
said. “Usually, you have to pick three games.
With these, you can buy 20 tickets. You can
take 20 people to one game, 10 to two games
or you can split them up any way you want.
With these, you can go to any game.”
According to the team’s website, single-
game general admission tickets are $15 and
increase up to $100 for super suite and on-
the-field VIP seats.
On top of responding to fans’ wants at the
gate and inside the stadium, the team has
made drastic changes to the product on the
field. Since the beginning of last season,
Johnson has taken over the duties of general
manager, Gareth O’Sullivan was replaced as
coach by James Galanis and the entire roster
has a different look.
Instead of Swiss forward Ramona
Bachmann, a slew of international players
and goalkeeper Hope Solo leading the fran-
chise, the team will have an all-American
feel to it this season to go along with a
youth movement.
“I think it goes back to what you learn in a
year,” Johnson said. “This time last year, we
probably had 24 players signed. We found
out that it was like a revolving door. This
year, we are taking a little different approach.
We’re trying to get some stability and some
youngsters in here.
“We just have a much better feeling going
into camp this year. We have evaluated the
talent here (in the U.S.) was plentiful. We
may pick up an international (player) if we
need one. We’re not ruling it out, but we
probably won’t have one.”
Returning from last season are mid-
fielder Lori Chalupny, defender Tina
Ellertson and forward Lauren Sesselman.
Though there are three U.S. national team
veterans on the roster in midfielder Carli
Lloyd, defenders Cat Whitehill and
Heather Mitts, the team is mainly made up
by players who are 28 years old or
younger.
The youth movement is highlighted by the
Beat’s two draftees in the 2011 WPS draft,
UCLA midfielder Kylie Wright and Virginia
forward Meghan Lenczyk.
Date Opponent Venue Time April
April 9 Boston Breakers KSU 7 PM April 16 Sky Blue FC (NY/NJ) KSU 7 PMApril 24 Western NY Flash KSU 6 PM
May May 1 Western NY Flash Sahlen's Stadium 4 PMMay 8 @ Washington Freedom TBA 4 PM May 15 Philadelphia Independence KSU 6 PM May 21 @ Sky Blue FC Yurcak Field 7 PM May 28 @ Washington Freedom TBA 7 PM
JuneJune 4 @ Philadelphia Independence Widener U. 7 PM June 11 Washington Freedom KSU 6 PM June 19 Boston Breakers KSU TBA June 22 @ Sky Blue FC Yurcak Field 7 PM
JulyJuly 10 @ Boston Breakers Harvard 6 PM July 16 Philadelphia Independence KSU 7 PM July 23 Washington Freedom KSU 7 PM July 31 @ Philadelphia Independence Widener U. 6 PM
August Aug. 6 Western New York Flash KSU 7 PM Aug.14 Western New York Flash Sahlen's Stadium 6 PM
SPORTS & RECREATION6HHMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
Staff file photo
The Atlanta Beat’s Lori Chalupny, left, looks to her teammate during a Women’s Pro-
fessional Soccer game last season at the KSU Soccer Stadium. Chalupny will lead
a new roster of Beat players into the team’s second season, which starts April 9.
The large hills that the run-
ners encounter on the 10K
course that begins at Cumber-
land Mall and goes north on
U.S. 41 to the finish line at
White Water park makes the
U.S. 10K Classic one of the
toughest races in the nation.
The 2011 U.S. 10K Classic
will be held on Sept. 5.
The MUST Ministries
Gobble Job is the second-
largest road race in the county.
The eighth-annual edition
of the Thanksgiving Day
event was the largest in its his-
tory, attracting around 8,000
participants for its 5K and
10K races, an increase from
the 6,400 who ran in 2009.
The Polar Bear Run is
another long time Cobb Coun-
ty favorite, with the popular
east Cobb event being held for
the 23rd year in a row at John-
son Ferry Baptist Church on
Jan. 22.
The race attracted its usual
large group of runners this
year, with around 2,000 sign-
ing up to run in the 5K and 2K
fun run.
Also attracting large
groups of runners every year
are the Silver Comet 10K and
half marathon races at the Sil-
ver Comet trail in south Cobb.
The Silver Comet half
marathon is the longest road
race in Cobb County, with its
13.1-mile course covering the
south Cobb portion of the
popular 57-mile trail that
stretches to the Georgia-
Alabama border.
It was another big year for
the Silver Comet half
marathon, which had 1,705
participants in 2010 — an
increase from the 1,603 run-
ners who competed in ’09.
The Silver Comet half
marathon will be held for the
11th year on Oct. 30.
The Silver Comet 10K also
draws large annual crowds.
The race featured 845 partici-
pants last year, a drop from
1,027 in 2009.
The 13th edition of the Sil-
ver Comet 10K will take place
on March 12.
Launching the racing cal-
endar in a big way every year
is the ATC Resolution Run,
which features its popular 5K
and 10K races in Kennesaw
on New Year’s Day.
The Resolution Run is held
by the Atlanta Track Club as
part of its Grand Prix series
and is the only ATC race cur-
rently held in the county.
A total of 1,223 runners
participated in the 5K and
10K races this year, a little
less than the 1,452 who took
part in 2010.
Another long-time favorite
on the county’s race calendar
is the Run for Life, which has
been holding its 5K and 10K
races every summer since
1984.
The Run for Life began its
lengthy run at Life University
in 1984 and stayed there for
around two decades until
moving to Roberts Business
Park in Kennesaw in 2004.
The race attracted 594 par-
ticipants in 2010, a slight
increase from the 522 who
showed up in ’09.
The 28th annual Run for
Life will be held this year on
July 30.
The Jonquil Jog in Smyrna
has also been a popular desti-
nation for runners for a num-
ber of years. The race had 507
participants last year after
having 628 in ’09. This year’s
event will be held on April 23.
The Run for the Son 5K
and 10K races in Powder
Springs attracts a large num-
ber of participants every
year, with 526 runners taking
part in this year’s edition on
Feb. 5.
Cobb County runners also
participate in several of the
other major races in the
Atlanta area, with the
Peachtree Road Race, the
Publix Georgia Marathon and
Half-Marathon and the
Atlanta Marathon and Half-
Marathon being the most
popular.
RunnersContinued from Page 3HH
By Adam Carrington
Laurel Park Tennis Center
in the city of Marietta under-
went new management last
May that has quickly brought
in new ideas to involve the
city in the tennis community.
The new management
goes by the company name
Tennis Dynamics.
It’s a five-person team
headed by J.P. Weber, who is
director of tennis operations
at Laurel Park. His wife, Jen-
nifer Weber, is the schools
program director. Thabani
Sithole and Steve Gutke are
staff professionals and Nor-
bert Elliot is the conditioning
specialist.
Tennis Dynamics’ motto
is “Go Slower and Get There
Quicker.” Instructors empha-
sis that tennis can’t be taught
overnight and players can
sometimes take years before
finding success at a high
level. They stress basic fun-
damentals, patience and long
hours of training. They say
players who rise quickly can
fall just as fast because their
game hasn’t been fully
developed.
The program has been run-
ning junior and adult tennis
clincs for the last nine months
and has worked tirelessly at
organizing tournaments that
attract marquee junior and
adult players who live in and
out of state. They also host
free round robins once a
month as well as camps for
juniors and adults.
“I think its hard for us to
get name out here because
we’re new,” Jennifer Weber
said. “It’s work in progress
and strying to get started as a
new business out here. We
have a lot of things to look
forward to out here.”
Laurel Park’s numerous
tennis programs includes
QuickStart Tennis and a Pee
Wee Program for youngsters
ages 4-9. It also offers four
levels of junior development
programs that’s based on skill
level. Tennis Dynamics also
offers coaches at the state,
southern and national levels
and provides many helpful
hints such as pre-match
warmup, match strategy and
post tournament evaluation.
Tennis Dynamics offers
private lessons, league play,
clinics, round robins and car-
dio tennis for adults and there
are other newer porgrams
such as school programs,
summer camps and Polar
Bear camps for those who
enjoy cold weather tennis. A
strength and conditioning
program that emphasizes
speed, strength, flexibility,
endurance and coordination
are also offered.
At other tennis centers in
Cobb County, Steve Lottinger,
the facility manager of Harri-
son Tennis Center in east
Cobb won the ‘Ace Award’ by
Special Pops Tennis for his
role in introducing a tennis-
playing experience for dis-
abled adults and children.
Sweetwater Tennis Center
in Austell is now offering a
Build-A-Player program for
beginners and a Competition
Development program for
tournament.
Staff / Laura Moon
Marietta’s Megan McClinden is just one of the many
successful high school tennis players to come from
Cobb County in recent years.
Tennis Dynamics brings
its A-game to center
By William Bretherton
With spring upcoming, it
can only mean one thing.
Baseball season is just
around the corner. Not only
do Major League Baseball’s
Atlanta Braves return to regu-
lar season play, but East
Cobb Baseball makes its
return.
This year, there will be few
changes to last year’s slate,
which suits East Cobb Base-
ball’s president, Guerry Bald-
win, just fine.
“The goals here are always
the same,” he said. “They are
about the participants and the
game. We try to do everything
we can possibly do to make
their experience with the
game, and advancement up to
the highest level we can get it.
I think we do a pretty good job
because we do it emphasizing
hard work and the team, and
what it takes to actually make
it as a college player or
beyond.”
Starting last Friday, the
Triple Crown Spring Frost
tournament for children ages
8-14 began. The top two
teams to advance through this
event will earn berths to the
Triple Crown World Series in
Steamboat Springs, Colo., the
Summer Nationals in Myrtle
Beach, S.C., and both Fall
Nationals in Las Vegas and St.
Augustine, Fla.
Many more events like the
Triple Crown Spring Frost
tournament will go through
until as late as November 6. In
order to put on so many events
over such a long span of time,
East Cobb Baseball must
maintain its facilities with
travel ball teams consistently
using the fields. With so many
teams traveling from out of
state, schedules must be han-
dled with care.
“I would say that probably
first and foremost, when you
have to deal with everybody’s
travel plans and making sure
that you can fit schedules to
when they can and will be
there,” Baldwin said when
asked what the most difficult
thing was about putting
together events. “The sched-
ules are first and get very,
very difficult from time to
time, but that’s part of it.
Next, it’s making sure that
when it’s their time to play the
game, the field being in the
best condition that it can be in.
It takes time to keep fields
maintained so the kids can
play on first-class fields.
“With umpires, you have
to make sure they are on time
and ready to go. We check
that they are professional and
do a really good job… It’s
quite an army of talent that it
takes to pull that off.”
While the Triple Crown
event starts the schedule, the
Perfect Game East Cobb Invi-
tational for 14-and-under
teams up to 18-and-under
teams highlights the summer
at East Cobb Baseball. With
the large number of teams
coming to the area, there are
more opportunities for college
and pro scouts to evaluate tal-
ent.
On top of the large number
of events that East Cobb Base-
ball puts on every season,
there are a large number of
collegiate and professional
scouts that come out to see
who the next great star of the
game will be. After Braves
outfielder Jason Heyward had
a stellar rookie season, there
will certainly be just as much
if not more attention paid to
East Cobb Baseball this year.
It’s fair to say that East Cobb
Baseball has become a train-
ing ground and a crucial part
in developing baseball talent
in the area.
“The teams in general that
come out of here get a lot of
instruction to what it takes to
be the highest player you can
reach,” Baldwin said. “We try
to instruct them in that way
and help them understand that
it’s a team game. There is a lot
of showcasing. It makes it
tougher for kids to understand
what a team is. We try to stay
away from that.”
Overall, it’s clear that
baseball has become an inte-
gral part of the East Cobb
community and of baseball in
Georgia at large.
“I think there’s some
really exciting things that
have happened in the past 20
years in Cobb, Cherokee,
Fulton and Gwinnett Coun-
ties,” Baldwin said. “Base-
ball has become a very
viable sport to a lot of peo-
ple, which is good for the
kids. I’m glad to see it and
the part that we had to play
in it with high schools and
other organizations. We’ve
made baseball better for
everyone and all the kids,
and hopefully that should be
the most important thing.”
East Cobb Baseball set foranother busy summer in 2011
Staff / Mike Jacoby
James Harris, of the East Cobb Mets, center, takes his hat and glove from teammate
Devan Stewart. Harris and Stewart are among the thousands of players play at the
East Cobb Baseball Complex each year trying to get better for their high school teams
while at the same time trying to catch the eye of a college or pro scout.
SPORTS & RECREATION 7HHMARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
GROWTH & REVITALIZATION8HH MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL / SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011